College Daze
by renagrrl
Summary: COMPLETE! [Modern AU] Katara and Zuko both attend Ba Sing Se University and are forced to be partners on a class project, working together for the grade. But what happens when they get to know each other? [Blutara, Zutara, Jetara]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was the weekend before the start of the fall semester at Ba Sing Se University. It was still warm, being the end of August, but Katara felt like there was something else in the air that day…then again, it could just be the heat and humidity getting to her as she lugged the last box of her stuff from Sokka's car up to her dorm room.

As she huffed and puffed up the stairs to her room (_the elevators were full of people anyways_, she told herself), she rolled her eyes as she heard Sokka trying to put _his so-called_ "moves" on Katara's new roommate, Suki. The weird part was that Suki was falling for it, giggling at Sokka's lame joke! _Seriously, is she laughing at Sokka or with Sokka?!?_

Earlier in the summer, Coach Pakku had asked her to room with the new transfer from Kyoshi Island. Suki was to replace one of Katara's water polo teammates that had to drop out of school for personal reasons and Katara was happy to oblige. As it was her sophomore year, she knew BSSU pretty well by now and she thought it would be nice to room with a teammate this year.

Katara and Suki were able to get to know each other by messaging each other and checking out one another's MySpace pages out before classes started. Katara was easily convinced that Suki was a sweet girl and would make a great defensive addition to their high-ranked team. _Besides, if Coach Pakku had gone out of his way to recruit her, it is in the team's best interest for me to help the new girl out anways._

"You know, I play goalie for the Ba Sing Se Bears professional hockey team," Sokka said as nonchalantly as he could. "I always have extra tickets to home games, so I'll be sure to send you and Katara a few pairs once the season starts."

"Well, I've never been to a hockey game before," Suki replied with a smile. "But it sounds like it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to getting to know the city better."

"Alright Sokka, Suki and I'll make sure to head out to a few games later this year," Katara said while entering her room and glaring at her brother for being such a dork. "Don't you have practice or a workout to go to soon? You mentioned it earlier when you were complaining about helping me move into my dorm room in, what did you call it? Oh yeah, 'the most horribly hot and humid day of the year,'" Katara retorted in her best impression of a lame, tired Sokka she could muster.

At that, Sokka said his goodbyes to Suki, mentioning that it was really nice to meet her.

_Gods, why does he always have to have the goofiest smile on his face whenever he meets a pretty girl,_ Katara thought.

Soon enough, Katara was walking her dumbfounded brother back to the car.

"You know, you don't have to hit on every cute girl you meet, Sokka," Katara said accusingly. "Besides, you'll have plenty of time to get to know here—she's rooming with me for the rest of the school year."

As she said it, she playfully elbowed her brother in his arm.

"Yeah…" Sokka said dumbly. "Oh and try not to reveal too many embarrassing details about me! I don't want her opinion of me being tainted by my kid sister," Sokka said as he straightened himself up and ended his directive with a lift of his right eyebrow.

"Oh, is the big, bad, all-star goalie of the Ba Sing Se Bears afraid of little ol' me…whatever could I say to taint your obvious reputation of being an awesome hockey warrior," Katara joked with a sarcastic emphasis on the word "warrior."

"You know what I mean, Katara. Well, I have to go. Keep yourself out of trouble and remember I'm just a phone call away. I'll stop by next weekend to take you out to lunch and see how the first week of classes went," Sokka ended, smiling while his sister lunged in for a big hug goodbye.

"Thanks for helping, Sokka, see you next weekend," Katara replied in kind.

As he drove off, Katara was somewhat sad to see her brother go and at the same time relieved that he was no longer there to hit on her new roommate. They had always been close when they were kids, and even when Sokka was drafted to play for the Ba Sing Se Bears right out of high school, she was still able to keep in close touch with him. They spoke on the phone nearly every other day, no matter where Sokka was for a match and she always got to come up to the city in the off-season and catch up with her big bro. _Oh well, it isn't like I haven't gone through this before_, she thought to herself remembering the start of her freshman year.

With a huff of breath to her forehead, Katara walked back into her residence hall with a small sense of trepidation. _I hate unpacking boxes…_

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If there was one thing that Zuko hated more than the start of the school year, it was how excited Iroh got. Iroh loved the beginning of the school year because it meant more people in the tea shop—catching up with returned customers and meeting the new students, faculty and staff that would stop by DragonsTea. The tea shop was so close to campus that it practically was on BSSU property. Besides that, it provided a perfect spot for students to study, hang out or grab a bite to eat. _And a perfect spot to people watch_, Iroh thought to himself.

For Zuko, the new school year meant dealing with crowds of people he didn't like and didn't care to "get to know," losing sleep while cramming for tests and enduring another two semesters of people staring at his scar whenever he gave an oral presentation in class. _I can't wait for this year to be over. After this, only two semesters left and I'm home free!_ Zuko smiled to himself at the thought.

He quickly took off his apron and placed it on the hook in the manager's office he shared with Iroh. Over the summer, he'd worked as assistant manager and watched the tea shop while Iroh went on vacation.

This year, Iroh decided to go on a two-week cruise with some old friends. They called themselves the "White Lotus Society…" _Why did they name themselves something so silly and cryptic? _Zuko questioned when he first heard about it. _As far as I'm concerned, all they ever do is drink free tea and play pai sho at the tea shop every afternoon._

Zuko quickly gathered up his backpack and was ready to head out the door when Uncle's voice rang out from behind the register and caught him before he went out the door.

"Zuko, where are you headed? I thought your shift wasn't over for another hour?" Iroh asked.

"Don't you remember Uncle?" Zuko replied, only to receive a blank stare from Iroh. "I asked you if I could head out early today to go pick up my books at the bookstore. I want to get in there before classes start and it gets insanely crowded." _It's probably already jam-packed in there…_

"Since it's slow right now and we're adequately staffed, I think I'll come with you, nephew," Iroh stated matter-of-factly.

"Uncle, I don't need you to come to campus with me to buy my books," Zuko said with apparent annoyance in his voice. "I have my own money and I'll make it out of that madhouse faster if I don't have you slowing me down."

"Is that any way to talk to your elder, Zuko?" Iroh queried with an air of disappointment in his voice. "Besides, you should save your money for going out and having fun. I am paying for your books and I will not take no for an answer."

At that, Zuko let out a small groan and simply said, "Fine."

With that, Iroh let the staff know that he was heading out. They quickly left DragonsTea and walked towards campus.

---------------------------------

"I'm heading upstairs to pick out my textbooks, Suki," Katara shouted over her shoulder. "I'll look for you when I head back down, okay?"

"Okay," Suki said, absentmindedly nodding while checking out some sweatshirts with the BSSU logo on them.

Katara braced herself to head up the stairs to the second level of the bookstore. There was already a hoard of people crowded around the bookshelves trying to find their textbooks as quickly as possible and she dreaded having to head into the mob.

She had an empty basket in one hand and her class schedule in the other. Quickly, she gathered up her books and with a look of triumph on her face made her way towards the stairs before the crowd got any bigger.

_Why do I always wait until the last minute to get my books…Next year, I'm ordering them online and having them delivered!_

Unfortunately, while lost in thought, she didn't notice the older fellow and the young man until she had already run into them. As soon as her shoulder collided with the young man, her books flew across the floor at her feet along with the young man's books. All Katara heard was her own voice shouting, "Oh shit!" and an exasperated groan from one of the two men.

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Author's note: This is my first fanfic and I didn't have anyone beta it. So, please keep this in mind when you're offering your criticism. Thanks for reading and I'll try to update this as soon as possible!


	2. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 2**

_Why did Uncle insist on paying for my books? I don't need his help_, Zuko thought to himself as he picked up another textbook from the shelf. _I do have to admit the old man is helping me locate them more quickly than if I was by myself_.

Soon enough, Zuko was almost done picking up all of his textbooks until he realized that he forgot one small workbook. Unfortunately, the section the book was located in was all the way on the other side of the bookstore. He trudged along purposefully to the other side of the store.

"Zuko, don't you need a new backpack? It looks like it's on its last legs—it's practically threadbare," Uncle queried while staring at the bag barely hanging onto his nephew's shoulders.

"Uncle, the one I have now is fine, I don't need a new one," Zuko stated succinctly. "Besides, you're already paying for my books, you don't need to get me something else."

"I know I don't need to buy you a new backpack, Zuko, I WANT to buy you one. There is a difference," Iroh replied.

Zuko turned his head over his shoulder to retort when suddenly something or, more likely, someone pushed into his ribs with their shoulder. With that, all the books he had spent the last 40 minutes gathering went flying straight to the floor. He groaned in exasperation and looked to the person responsible for being so clumsy. At the same time, he heard a woman's voice yelp, "Oh shit!"

When he looked down, all he saw was the top of some girl's head as she picked up the books strewn about the floor.

"I'm really sorry about that, I guess I wasn't paying attention," was the response Zuko received from the brunette on her hands and knees picking up books. "Let me help you pick these up."

"You'd better help me—you know you should really watch where you're going," Zuko replied, barely containing the irritation in his voice. "I just spent 45 minutes picking up all of these and if I'm missing just one of them, I'll be holding you responsible."

"Look, buddy, I just spent an hour grabbing all of my books, too, so don't get all high and mighty about it," Katara said in a raised voice. She stood straight up and stared at Zuko straight in the eye. "Besides, if YOU were paying attention, you'd notice me coming at you anyways!"

While the bookstore was crowded, it didn't stop nearby shoppers from staring at the two, waiting to see what would happen next. A long-haired guy at the nearby customer service desk was watching, eyes wide, wondering if Katara was going to lose her temper…_Not again_…Haru walked out of line to help Katara out with the guy who was enduring her wrath.

"Did you just imply that this is somehow my fault?!?" Zuko asked in exasperation, his eyes squinting in growing anger. _I will not lose my temper with some stupid girl—besides this is in NO WAY my fault_.

Haru picked up a couple of books from the floor and walked towards Katara purposefully.

_If someone doesn't intervene soon, we'll have an even larger scene on our hands soon enough_, Iroh thought to himself and moving towards the two arguers.

"Hey Katara, looks like you dropped this," Haru said sheepishly to the blue-eyed brunette.

Katara was caught off guard and it temporarily lifted her attention from _that jerk_… "Thanks Haru, uh, what're you doing here?"

"Picking up my books…it's the weekend before classes start…" Haru trailed off.

With that, Iroh took his chance to get his nephew away from the young lady quickly _and before this escalates_, he mused. He started with a quick apology.

"Please excuse my nephew young lady," Iroh stated coolly. "We were so engrossed in our conversation that we didn't see you. Isn't that right, Zuko?"

"Hmph…" was all Zuko would say.

_I guess this is as close to an apology as that poor girl is going to get_, Iroh concluded.

"Please accept our apologies, along with this coupon for a free drink at DragonsTea," Iroh said as he handed a small piece of paper to the young blue-eyed girl. "As the owner, I personally invite you to come by and enjoy a treat on the house."

"That's really sweet of you…Thanks, I'll have to take you up on that" Katara said in reply as she took the coupon offered by the nice old man. _At least one of them knows how to be a gentleman._

With that, Katara went to pick up the last book left on the floor and handed it to Zuko, "I believe this is yours."

Iroh elbowed Zuko sharply in the side. "Thanks," was all Zuko could mutter, his eyes glancing at his uncle and avoiding contact with the blue-eyed girl.

"Have a nice day," Iroh smiled as the young lady walked off with the long-haired young man. "She seemed rather nice, Zuko. Why couldn't you just apologize?"

"Uncle, SHE bumped into me, not the other way around. I'm not going to apologize for something that I didn't do," Zuko said, clearly glad to see the girl gone.

As previously planned, Zuko trudged over to the other side of the bookstore, picked up his workbook and double-checked his basket to make sure that he had all the books that he needed. Once assured that everything was there, he and Iroh made their way to the cashiers. They diligently took their place at the end of the snaking line, waiting 20 minutes until they checked out.

"Thanks Uncle," Zuko said quietly to his uncle as they left the store. _He does mean well if nothing else_.

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_Thank goodness for Haru and that kind old man_, Katara thought momentarily. _If not for them, that situation could have turned into something much worse_.

"So, Katara, you're already on campus for the semester?" Haru queried as he followed Katara around as she headed downstairs.

"Yeah, I just moved in yesterday. Sokka helped me move everything into my new room," Katara said. She quickly spied Suki, who was standing at the end of the long line with an armload of items with the school logo. "Hey Suki, I see you found a few things! Oh, and this is Haru. Haru this is Suki, my roommate, she just transferred here from Kyoshi Island College. She's also on the water polo team with me."

"Hey Katara, hi Haru—I'd shake your hand if mine weren't full. Katara, what was up with that 'scene' upstairs? The whole bookstore was practically watching you two go at it," Suki questioned.

"Well, I was minding my own business when some jerk crashed into me and all our books fell on the floor. I was being nice and helping pick them up. Then he started up with some serious attitude and we, uh, agreed to disagree, I guess, on whose fault it was," Katara trailed off. "Thankfully, this old man with him—and Haru, of course—helped smooth things over."

Not needing to hear too much more about it, Suki turned to Haru and promptly changed the subject. "So you go to BSSU, too? What's your major?"

"Oh, uh, geology. What's yours?" Haru replied courteously.

"Well, it was oceanography, but since I just transferred, I thought I'd switch to just biology," Suki noted quickly. Suki stared around the bookstore to emphasize her next point, "This place is SO much bigger than KIC…it's taking a little getting used to."

"Well, with Katara showing you around, you should be just fine," Haru said with a small smile and a barely noticeable tint to his cheeks.

They killed time for the next 15 or so minutes, exchanging small talk. They all left the store, Suki and Katara exchanging goodbyes and waving to Haru as they made their way to their dorm.

"He seems nice," Suki said. "How'd you two meet?"

"Well, Haru lived down the hall from me last year. He's nice, but almost too nice. That and he's a little too quiet for me," Katara summed up.

"He seems pretty fond of you," Suki noted.

"Yeah, he had a little crush on me last year, I guess. I found out from someone else in our dorm and it got really uncomfortable to be around him for awhile. This was the first time I'd seen him since last year. I'm kind of glad we ran into each other, especially since he helped diffuse that 'scene'…"

Suddenly, they were at their residence hall and went up to their room. After unpacking some more boxes and putting away all their new stuff, Katara looked at the clock. _Too early for dinner_. Remembering the small piece of paper in her pocket, she turned to Suki, "You want to head out for some tea?"

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Author's Note: So, another chapter has spewed forth. Again, this story has no beta, so please excuse the small errors you might see. As you can see, I'm slowly introducing characters from the show…


	3. Chapter 3

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 3**

After leaving the bookstore, Zuko and Iroh headed back towards the tea shop. As soon as they arrived, Iroh waved off Zuko.

"Zuko, why don't you go home and get some rest. I'll be home for dinner, then come back later to close up the shop," Iroh said.

"Uncle, I can come back tonight to close," Zuko said while standing in the doorway of DragonsTea.

"No, no, it will be unnecessary. Besides, don't you have an 8 a.m. class tomorrow? You don't want to show up to your first class tired from closing the shop—what kind of impression would that make?"

"Fine, Uncle, I'll head home and get started on dinner. Did you want anything in particular?"

"Why don't you surprise me, nephew," Iroh replied with a smile.

With that, Zuko headed out the door towards the home he shared with Iroh, located just a few blocks away. Zuko had moved in with Iroh while he was still in high school—Zuko's father, Ozai, had disowned Zuko because he had accidentally started a fire in their home. Iroh took the boy under his wing soon after, realizing that his younger brother's attitude towards the boy was not going to change anytime soon.

Zuko was an attentive young man when it came to his uncle, but unfortunately, he was a loner. _I just don't think it's healthy for a young man like himself to not have any friends_, Iroh often mused to himself. At first, he thought the boy's dislike of people stemmed from the prominent scar across the boy's face—evidence of the fire he caused and the shame Zuko felt for causing it. Soon though, he realized that Zuko simply did not care for the friendship of other youngsters and realized that the boy would only seek companionship if wanted to.

_If only Ursa were here to talk to him_…Iroh often pondered the disappearance of Zuko's mother years ago. She had simply packed up and left his brother and her family nearly a decade earlier, years before the fire. Iroh never understood why she disappeared, but he knew that for a woman like Ursa to abandon her family, she would have to have a good reason.

As Iroh shook himself from his thoughts, he went to the office and grabbed his apron. Soon enough, he was checking the large jars of tea on a shelf beside the counter. If they looked low, he would take the jar down and place it on a small work table nearby. After taking down a couple of jars, he eyeballed their labels and went to the stockroom, retrieving large bags of loose tea. Armed with scoop in hand, he refilled each until he was satisfied. He then placed them back on the shelf and returned the bags back to their storage area. Afterwards, he walked around the tea shop, clearing tables as he went by. He had started the shop by himself years ago, after he retired as an honored general from the Fire Nation army. The shop was his pride and joy and filled his time with something to do instead of being depressed over the untimely death of his son Lu Ten.

The shop wasn't large by any means, as it was a small converted house, but it had plenty of roomy seating, with large sofas by the windows and small tables in the back for studying. There was also a large patio outside, allowing people to enjoy the sunshine or smoke clove cigarettes late into an evening of conversation. On Friday nights, Iroh hosted an open mike night and students would come by, some reciting poetry, others testing out a new stand-up comedy act and others just playing a tune on their guitar. _This tea shop is so full of life_, Iroh would always think to himself. He smiled as he returned to the counter, wiping it off with a clean rag. Soon enough, two new customers walked in. As Iroh looked up, he smiled, "Welcome to DragonsTea, ladies. I'm glad to see you took me up on my offer."

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Katara and Suki left their dorm room, looking forward to an afternoon snack. They meandered their way through campus, stopping every so often so Katara could point out a particular building or relay a favorite spot. She showed Suki the small pond on campus, pointing out the colorful koi and the turtle-ducks that called it home.

"It's amazing that in the middle of this big campus, there's a spot for serenity," Suki admired as they finally left. "I'm really glad I came here…"

"I know exactly what you mean," Katara replied. "Coming from the South Pole to here was like a complete 180. At first, I was worried that I'd get lost in the sea of people and buildings, but now I think of it as my 'home away from home.'"

They neared the edge of campus and saw DragonsTea across the street. Katara was already looking forward to a cold boba tea to wash the day's earlier events away and cool her off in the afternoon heat.

As soon as they walked in, Katara smiled at the old man behind the counter. After a brief welcome, Katara handed him the coupon. She then eyed the extensive menu near the register. She quickly spotted the drink of her desire.

"Thanks again for the coupon," she started. "I think I'll try the iced peach boba. How about you, Suki?" Katara said turning to her companion.

"I'll try the iced green boba with strawberry, please," Suki replied, handing over some money to Iroh.

Iroh respectfully turned the money away asking, "Is this your first visit to DragonsTea, Ms. Suki?" Suki nodded an affirmative. "Well then, please consider your drink on the house, as well. Unfortunately, I did not catch your name," Iroh said while addressing Katara.

"I'm Katara," Katara said offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you Katara—such a beautiful name. I am Iroh Sozin," Iroh replied shaking her hand. "Again, my apologies for Zuko's behavior earlier—he can be a little harsh sometimes."

"No worries—consider it forgotten," Katara said smiling and belying the fact that she still thought he was a jerk.

"Well, why don't you ladies take a seat and I'll bring you your drinks shortly," Iroh said graciously.

At that, Katara and Suki headed outside to enjoy some of the sunshine as it peeked through the tree covering part of the patio area. After a minute or two of chatting, Iroh appeared, walking over with a small tray with their drinks on it, as well as an additional teacup.

"Here you go, ladies. Would you forgive an old man his weariness and allow me to join you for a little conversation?"

"Of course, Mr. Sozin. Please feel free to join us," Katara replied respectfully.

"Please, call me Iroh. Now, you girls must be students at BSSU. What are you majoring in?" Iroh asked while sipping his tea.

Katara answered first, "I'm a sophomore majoring in physical therapy."

"And I'm a junior majoring in biology," Suki said with a smile.

"And what do the young people do now when they're not studying for class?" Iroh queried with a small grin.

"Well, we both play for the women's water polo team," Katara replied in between sips of her boba. She thoughtfully chewed on a large tapioca pearl before continuing, "And I volunteer at the teen center in the lower tier on the weekends."

"Water polo, eh? That isn't an easy sport—it's the only sport I know of where you have to not only compete, but you also have to keep yourself from drowning!" Iroh said with a small laugh. "And it's very admirable that you volunteer, as well, especially in the lower tier."

The girls smiled at him and they continued their small talk. Soon enough, it was getting late and, as they finished the last of their drinks, they said goodbye to their new friend.

"Please come back soon, Katara. If it weren't for you kids, I would feel even older than I look!" Iroh called to them as they walked away.

"Thanks again, Iroh!" both girls cheerfully replied as they crossed the street.

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As Katara got ready for bed that night, she smiled thoughtfully as she remembered that sweet old man. _As nice as he is, I'm almost surprised he's related to the jerk I ran into earlier today_.

Pulling out the tie that pulled her hair back, she began to slowly brush her hair. _I can't believe it's the start of another school year. It seems like just yesterday, I was graduating from high school. I can still remember the look of pride on Dad's, Gran-Gran's and Sokka's faces. Too bad Mom never got to see me graduate…_

Shaking her head a little, as if to help tumble the memory out of her mind, Katara put down her hair brush. She quickly changed into her pajamas and turned out the light. Turning to Suki's side of the room, she quickly said "good night" to her roommate and curled up in her bed. _Tomorrow's the start of a whole new year…_

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It was late and Zuko couldn't sleep…again. After Uncle came home, he had served dinner and watched some TV before heading to his room. He undressed and changed into the pajama bottoms Iroh had gotten him for his birthday earlier that year. Zuko lay in bed, smiling as he thought about how his uncle had gone to great lengths to find him some adult-sized pajamas with the Blue Spirit character on them. The Blue Spirit was his favorite comic book character as a child and Iroh had remembered. Thankfully, Iroh had given the gift to him after everyone had left the party. _It would have been at least a little embarrassing for everyone to see how excited I was to get a set of PJs with a comic book character on them_.

As Zuko tossed and turned, he realized that he wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon. So, he turned the light back on and grabbed one of the old comic books that he stored under his bed. _Maybe a little reading will get me sleepy_, he thought to himself.

After reading halfway through the short Blue Spirit comic book, Zuko felt his eyelids droop. Soon enough, he was falling asleep. His last thoughts drowsily coming: _tomorrow's the start of a whole new year_…

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Author's Note: So, I was seriously bored at work (it's 80 degrees in Southern California, not to mention a Friday), so I thought I'd continue with the next chapter—which, I admit, is a little slow. While this chapter may not seem exciting, it does set up a lot of back story on our characters (which you're probably aware of anyways, if you watch a:tla). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see if I have it in me to crank another chapter out sometime over the weekend!


	4. Chapter 4

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 4**

The sun was beginning to peek through the blinds. As an almost automatic response, Zuko woke up. He turned off the alarm, yet to go off, but which he always programmed on the offbeat chance he accidentally slept in. He had been waking up at 6:30 a.m. automatically for years—but he never 100 percent trusted himself to continue doing so. Hence, the alarm being programmed diligently each night and shut off before it rang each morning.

He stretched in bed, running through the list of Monday morning classes he had—interpersonal comm at 8, intro to business management at 9:30 and accounting at 11. After accounting, he had an hour for lunch, then would head to the tea shop for the afternoon shift. Zuko got out of bed and immediately sat on a small cushion on the floor. Every morning, he would start his day with about five minutes of meditation. He'd been doing so since he had come to live with his Uncle.

At first, he'd only done so begrudgingly at Uncle's request. Something inside of Zuko caused him to want to please his Uncle—the man had basically rescued him from an impossible situation with his father, Ozai. But, little by little, Zuko found the meditation helping him focus. It helped him focus in his studies, as well as in his Shotokan karate practice. It helped provide him the balance he needed so desperately after surviving the fire.

Soon enough, Zuko was getting himself ready for the day. As he headed to the kitchen, he smelled breakfast immediately—jook. Uncle had first prepared it for him on his first day back to school after the accident and it slowly became a "first day" ritual. As Zuko trudged into the kitchen, he noticed something on the kitchen table. Sitting there innocently was a new black backpack—_simple, with lots of pockets for storing the miscellaneous items that Zuko will inevitably need for class_, Iroh thought—wrapped in a red ribbon and topped with a big, red bow.

"Uncle, I told you I didn't need to get me a new backpack," Zuko said, pinching the bridge of his nose. _I hate being a burden to Uncle, why can't he just do as I ask?_

"Zuko, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, it's not like you let me shop for you otherwise," Iroh replied flatly. "Just think of it as an early reward for another successful semester."

As he finished, Iroh handed Zuko a bowl of the warm porridge. Zuko topped it with the chopped mangos that were sitting in a bowl on the counter, then walked his way to the table to eat. A cup of hot ginseng tea was already waiting for him.

Zuko thoughtfully blew the steam off of the tea and took a sip. "Uncle, ginseng tea? This will keep me wired for the rest of the morning," Zuko noted in irritation.

"You have a long day ahead of you, nephew. Trust me, you'll need all the energy you can get."

When Zuko finished his simple repast, he cleared the table and placed his dishes in the dishwasher. Removing the extravagant red bow from the new bag, he took it to his room, where he placed his textbooks, notebook and planner in the largest pocket. He tucked a few pens and pencils into one of the smaller pockets, along with his cell phone. He took a deep breath as he headed towards the front door. He hoped to make a quick escape, quick enough so that it would be too late for Iroh to notice his absence. However, same as every year, as soon as he opened the door, Iroh would shout, "Go out there and learn a lot, Zuko!"

Zuko, as usual, cringed at the motivational line most often used on elementary school students. _At least Uncle means well…_he thought as he made his way towards campus.

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She stood there thoughtfully, looking down at her new roommate who was blissfully unaware of the situation. _Didn't she say she had an 8 a.m. class? Why is she still sleeping? She must have forgot to set her alarm. Should I wake her up? Well, I wouldn't want to be late for my first class…_and with that, Suki softly shook Katara's sleeping frame and roused her from her slumber.

"Katara, wake up! It's 7:30 a.m. and you have class in 30 minutes!" Suki said emphatically.

With a start, Katara woke. "What did you say?" she queried drowsily.

"It's 7:30 and you have class in 30," Suki replied, not knowing what to expect next.

"OH CRAP!" Katara shouted, practically jumping out of bed. "What happened to the alarm?"

Before Suki could say anything in reply, Katara had already said "Nevermind, I don't have time to figure it out right now anyways."

In a rush of blue pajamas, Katara searched for her clothes. _Thankfully, I already figured out what I wanted to wear!_ She threw on a navy blue, cotton tank top, jumped into a pair of jeans and dug her flip flops out of the closet. She quickly rubbed on some deodorant, grabbed her toothbrush and her hair brush, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

She splashed water on her face, rinsing away the last traces of sleep from her eyes. She brushed her teeth and started on her hair. _My hair is an absolute mess right now! Just pull it back into a ponytail, Katara, or you'll be late for your first class…_She pulled her hair back, making sure to leave the two trademark streaks of long bangs framing her face.

Afterwards, she rushed back to her room, picked up her bookbag and a copy of her schedule and headed out the door.

"Hope you're not too late," Suki yelled down the hall after a jogging Katara.

"I think I'll be okay. Thanks for waking me up, Suki!" Katara yelled back over her shoulder as she headed for the stairs.

As soon as she got out of her building, she groaned as she looked down at her schedule. _Of course my first class—at 8 a.m. no less—is all the way on the other side of campus! What I wouldn't give for even Aang's dorky scooter right now!_

As Katara hoofed it across campus, weaving in and out of the crowds of people thronged everywhere in sight, she repeatedly checked the clock on her cell phone for the time. _It's almost 8 a.m.!_

As she headed into the building her classroom was in, she heard the bell tower begin its toll, letting everyone on campus know that the fall semester at BSSU had officially begun.

She quickly found her classroom on the first floor. Peeking through the small window in the door, she sighed in relief when she realized the professor had not started speaking to the class. Katara composed herself and took a deep breath as she entered through the back of the small classroom. She surveyed the room, searching for an empty seat. Unfortunately, the only one available was all the way in the front at the end of the first row. She quietly strode her way upfront and silently took her seat. She pulled out her notebook and pen, listening intently to the professor, who had begun her introduction.

"Welcome to interpersonal communication. I'm Professor Wu. This class is designed to teach you how to better communicate one-on-one with others, as well as teach you basic theories on interpersonal communications."

As Professor Wu continued, Katara read a cryptic message on the whiteboard at the front of the room. "Be mindful of the seat you choose," it read. Katara crinkled her forehead in confusion. _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

Turning her head towards her classmates, she noticed a cute guy sitting to her left. She only saw a portion of his profile, as he was hunched over his desk diligently taking notes while Professor Wu spoke. _He looks familiar…_Katara thought, but she couldn't place his face. Shrugging her shoulders, she looked across the room, realizing that it was completely full. _Not a surprise, considering there are only 30 seats_, she thought.

During her online registration period that summer, she glanced through several sections of interpersonal comm. Unfortunately, her status as a sophomore meant she was in the very last group of students scheduled to register. She hated crashing, so she sucked it up and registered for the only class with open seats—Professor Wu, 8 a.m.

"As it's the first day of classes, I'm going to call roll. Please raise your hand and say present when I call your name…" Professor Wu said, following with a list of names.

Katara listened, waiting in dread for yet another incorrect pronunciation of her name. She didn't have to wait long.

"Kat-AH-rah KOO-rook," Professor Wu called.

Automatically, Katara responded, "Kah-TAH-rah Ker-UK," she said, raising her hand.

"My apologies, I always butcher someone's name the first day of classes," Wu responded.

Katara replied with a smile and then began doodling in her notebook while she waited for Professor Wu to continue calling roll. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she didn't notice the "cute guy" on her left grimacing.

------------------------------

Zuko, as always, arrived five minutes early to class. He had heard about this Professor Wu. He was always careful to check the online professor review site to see what his professors were like before he even registered for classes. She was an older, widely respected woman who had worked as a consultant for some time before returning to academia. Unfortunately, she had some small quirks when it came to running her classes. Wu had a semester-long project where she paired people up for a project due at the end of the semester. She always wrote "Be mindful of the seat you choose." on the whiteboard, pairing people up for the project based on where they sat in the classroom. It was always some different combination and you were never sure how you would be paired up—Professor Wu evidently liked keeping people on their toes, Zuko surmised. _No matter, I'll sit in the front, like always, and most likely be paired up with another diligent student._ So when he arrived in the mostly empty room, he took his seat up at the front of the class. While he waited for the class to begin, he went through his planner, writing in his class schedule as he went along through the pages.

He didn't notice the girl that sat next to him until it was too late. He glanced over to his right when she sat down, back to him while he quickly glanced at her. _She looks familiar_, he thought as she sat down and grabbed some items from her bookbag. He glanced away though as Professor Wu started her introduction, hunched over and writing notes down as she spoke.

Soon enough, Professor Wu was going through roll call. As she went through the names, Zuko finally heard the voice of the girl sitting next to him, correcting the way her name was read. As Zuko looked at her during her response, he grimaced realizing where he'd seen the girl before. _It's that clumsy girl from the bookstore! Better look away before she notices it's you and starts a scene again_.

As Zuko did his best to not look at the girl, his name was eventually called.

"Zuko Sozin?" Professor Wu called out.

"Present," Zuko replied while raising his hand. He didn't notice the wide-eyed look of shock on his neighbor's face, as he was still avoiding even looking in her general direction. _No matter, I'll just sit somewhere else for the rest of the semester._

As soon as he thought this, though, Professor Wu announced loudly, "Please note that since I hate taking roll, these will be your seats for the rest of the semester."

Zuko groaned under his breath as he realized there was going to be no way to avoid the tan, blue-eyed brunette to his right.

As class went on, Professor Wu passed out and reviewed the syllabus with the class.

"Of greatest interest to yourselves, you will be paired up with a partner to complete the bulk of your assignments—which, of course, comprise the bulk of your grade. You'll complete in-class exercises with this partner, as well as work on your final project together. Your final project consists of a 10-page paper you'll write on a topic related to interpersonal communication and a similar 10-minute presentation to the class. If you receive an "A" on your final project, you're excused from taking the final exam. So, without further ado, I will begin pairing you up with your partners," Wu said with a sly grin on her face. She walked over to Katara and stood directly in front of her and looked along the line of faces lined up before her.

"Everyone in this aisle of seats, please look to your left. The people directly to your left will be your partners for the course of the semester. Please introduce yourselves after I've assigned everyone's partners. Please note that this will be your first in-class activity—find out your partner's name, where they are from, their year and major, and a hobby they enjoy. You'll report this quickly to the rest of the class in about 10 minutes."

With that, Katara looked to the young man to her left. He looked at her with thin eyes, obviously unhappy with the partner he was assigned.

Katara squinted her eyes in response, muttering sarcastically under her breath, "Oh great, what super awesome luck I have." _Why are the gods punishing me this early in the semester_, Katara pondered.

She looked at her partner and simply said, "I'm Katara Kuruk…and I already know who you are."

Zuko responded in kind, "Thanks, I'm not deaf, I heard her when she called your name."

They shared a moment of silence while the hum of voices of the other students introducing themselves to each other filled the room. Turning to her, Zuko said coldly, "In case you're wondering, I pretty much refuse to be your partner and I'll be asking for a re-assignment after class."

"Not if I beat you to it," Katara replied, immediately standing up to go speak with Professor Wu.

As she approached Professor Wu, Zuko followed behind her, intent on not letting _that clumsy girl_ misrepresent him to his professor.

"Professor Wu, I'd like to ask for a reassignment of my partner," Katara said as she approached the older woman.

"And whatever for, you two just met each other?" Wu questioned.

"We've met before and we absolutely do not get along. For the sake of my sanity and my grade, I'd like to be reassigned," Katara pleaded.

Zuko piped in, "Yeah, we don't get along, to say the least. I'd like to be re-assigned—with anyone…"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't make reassignments. It's an unspoken policy. Look, this is interpersonal communication. The whole point is to learn how to better communicate with others, and sometimes that means learning how to communicate with people you don't like or can't stand. You both look like intelligent students—you were both sitting in front. I'm sure you'll be able to stand each other's presence for the next few weeks. Don't look at me like that—with the amount of technology at the disposal of you young people, you practically won't even have to speak to each other outside of class for all I care. Now, thank you for your concerns, but I highly suggest you return to your seats and continue the 'getting to know you' assignment I just gave. It's worth in-class participation points and I'll be calling on you two first," Wu said with a little exasperation in her voice.

With that, both Zuko and Katara went back silently to their seats. It was Katara that spoke first.

"Looks like we'll have to deal. Well, I guess I'll start off by telling you my year and major. I'm a sophomore majoring in physical therapy. I'm originally from the South Pole and I guess my hobby would be playing competitive water polo on the BSSU team. Hmm, that wasn't too bad, how about yourself?"

"I'm a junior entrepreneurial biz major. I'm originally from the Fire Nation and I enjoy practicing karate in my spare time," Zuko said, refusing to make eye contact and staring straight ahead. _This is so stupid. I make the effort to show up early, get a good seat and now I'm stuck with that incompetent girl. At least she's making an effort to not be the bitch she was over the weekend._

They sat there silently while the rest of the classroom buzzed with conversation. As promised, Professor Wu ended the in-class activity and called on Katara and Zuko first. Zuko began, relaying in verbatim what he had learned of the girl to his right. When he finished, Katara gave her short report on him.

After they finished, Wu stated coolly, "Now that wasn't so bad was it." She continued on to the next pair behind them, making her way across the classroom quickly. Soon enough, it was the end of class.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a pleasure this morning. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday and working with you for the rest of the semester. Best of luck in your other classes and, don't forget, you'll need to turn in your project topic to me next Monday, including a list of possible sources," she said as she waved off the students with a smile.

As she picked up her bookbag from the floor, Katara knew that this semester was going to be hell, no matter what happened in her other four classes. _Just great…Just what did I do in a past life to deserve this?_

Zuko quickly made his way out of the room, rushing to his next class. _Well, I guess I'll have to work harder in order to pick up the inevitable slack—per usual. Great…_

--------------------------------

Author's note: Wow, this ended up being a helluvalot longer than I thought it would be. But, our main characters are stuck together now and there's the hint of more of the gAang joining soon…And while I understand most professors wouldn't have you pair up on the first day of classes, Professor Wu isn't that way. She does what she wants…knowing that it'll all work out in the end. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 5**

It was Tuesday afternoon and it was still, to say the least, very hot in Ba Sing Se. Katara had just gotten out of class and was making her way back to her dorm. _At least the air conditioning will be on there_, she thought. As she walked along, her thoughts went back again to her class yesterday morning. _How exactly am I expected to work with Super Jerk? And what the hell are we going to do our project on? This is going to be a long semester_, she thought to herself while rubbing her temples.

Eventually, Katara made it back to her room. As she entered, she noticed Suki lying on her bed, listening to some music on her iPod and typing something on her laptop. Suki looked up knowingly, "Still hot as hell out there, huh?"

Katara nodded her head in agreement as she placed her bookbag down. "Yeah, I'm staying inside until it gets a little cooler. How're your classes going?"

"Alright so far. How about you?"

"Remember that jerk that I got into it with at the bookstore over the weekend?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, he's my new class project partner for interpersonal comm! We have to work together for the entire semester and do a final project together. This is going to be a painful semester," Katara ended as she flopped onto her bed.

"Did you ask to be re-assigned?" Suki asked, as she took a seat on the floor near Katara's bed.

"Of course I did. But the professor runs her class with an iron fist or something and won't allow it. Anyways, we have to come up with a topic for the final project by Monday and I don't know what the hell we're going to do. I looked through our textbook, but everything is all theory—everything looks really boring."

"Sounds like quite the predicament, Katara," Suki ended with a sigh. "Well, since you're stuck with him, you might as well try to make it work—at least for the sake of your grades. Besides, his uncle is a really sweet guy—so he's got to have at least one redeeming quality, right?" Suki ended on a positive note, standing up and making her way back to her bed.

"You're probably right, Suki," Katara said, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. _I've got to make this work, I can't afford to jeopardize my scholarship. _With that, she closed her eyes and, soon enough, she was in the middle of a cozy afternoon nap.

--------------------------------

"Uncle, when you're putting together the new schedule, remember that I placed my class schedule on the bulletin board beside the desk. And I'll probably have to take Sunday nights off because of that early class on Monday. I'll close on Fridays and Saturdays, though, to make up for it," Zuko shouted down the narrow hallway as Iroh made his way back to the manager's office.

It was the shift change at DragonsTea and all the workers were coming or going in some fashion. Zuko stood at the front counter helping the people in line while the workers coming onto shift signed in.

His class had finished early and he had headed over to the tea shop before the start of his shift. As he made his way across campus, his mind kept drifting to the main problem at hand. _What the hell are we going to end up doing for our project? There's nothing compelling in the textbook—and everyone will be pulling ideas from there anyway. And how am I going to deal with that girl? Ugh, this semester is going to be one big exercise in futility._

Eventually, Zuko finished helping everyone in line. At this point, he would usually go around cleaning up tables or the work area behind the counter. But, considering his newfound problem, he was stuck in thought for the moment, pondering its solution.

When Iroh returned from the back room, Zuko was still standing there frozen in thought. "Zuko, is something wrong?" Iroh asked quietly.

Zuko, jolted out of his thoughts, replied, "No, Uncle, just thinking about a problem with school…"

"Well, why don't you share your problem with me. I like to think that I've become wise in my old age and maybe I can help," Iroh said with a smile.

As Zuko nodded in agreement, Iroh motioned for one of the employees to cover the front counter. Zuko and Iroh then headed outside and sat under the shade of the large tree in the patio. They sat there for a moment in silence and, realizing his nephew wasn't going to give up the information easily, Iroh cleared his throat as an invitation for Zuko to begin.

"Uncle, remember the 'incident' at the bookstore on Sunday?" Zuko started hesitantly.

"Well, of course, it's hard to forget the look on the face of that pretty girl, not to mention your rude reaction" Iroh replied with a chuckle. "Did you run into her or something on campus?"

"More than that—we're partners for a class project in my interpersonal comm class. We have to do in-class exercises together and a final project together. I want an "A" in this class, but I don't know how it's going to happen with that girl as my partner. If her previous behavior in the bookstore is any indication, she's most likely not up to the task. Not to mention, she was practically late to the first day of class."

"It sounds to me as if you two need to find some common ground—your previous experience has made for a bad first impression," Iroh smiled, recalling his conversation with the young girl earlier that week and inwardly chuckling at Zuko's predicament. _Such a silly young man, always thinking of school. If I were him, I would be celebrating my good luck for being partnered with such a nice and pretty young lady_.

Continuing, Iroh noted, "She needs to learn that there is more to you than the angry young man she met at the bookstore. And you need to do the same for her—she's probably a very nice young lady and has more to offer as a partner than you think."

At that, Zuko thoughtfully licked his dry lips, ran his hand through his shaggy dark hair and sighed. "Thanks for the advice, Uncle."

"Doesn't the girl have a name? It would probably help you get past your previous experience if you addressed her by her name in conversation, especially with others, Zuko," Iroh deadpanned, knowing full well the girl's name.

"Her name's Katara," Zuko said, peering into the small tea shop. "Looks like some orders are up, Uncle. I'm going to head inside. I'll see you at home later, okay?"

"Of course, nephew. See you later," with that Iroh stood up and quickly went inside. Once he grabbed a few things from the office, he headed out and began walking home. _This is going to be a very interesting semester for Zuko, indeed._

------------------------------------

As Zuko silently strode into class, he took his seat in the front. This time, Katara was already sitting at her desk, writing some notes in her planner. _You can do this, Zuko. Just talk to her like a normal person—your grade depends on it_.

"So, uh, good morning. How are you?" Zuko asked, not raising his eyes from his desk while he asked.

"Fine thanks," she replied coolly, not even glancing up from her planner. _Looks like the jerk is trying to be nice…Guess I'll play along_. "How are things with you?" she asked, not really caring for the response.

_This is going a little easier than I thought_. "Good. So have you given any thought to what we should do for our project?"

"I scanned through a ton of different sections in the textbook yesterday and didn't see anything that really appealed to me. Most of it's boring theory and I'd like to at least do something that I find mildly interesting. Did you have any ideas?"

"Not yet, but I'm still thinking about it…" Zuko trailed off.

As Zuko silenced himself, Professor Wu strode up to the front of the classroom. "Good morning everyone. Glad to see I didn't scare any of you off on Monday. Let's begin with our first lecture then, shall we?"

With that, Professor Wu went into her introduction on interpersonal communication. As Zuko took fastidious notes, he glanced to his right and noticed that Katara was doing the same. _I guess she's not as bad of a student as I made her out to be…_

Slowly, the hour-long lecture came to an end and Professor Wu began to discuss the final project in greater detail. She also reminded her students that they needed to turn in a one-sheet with information on their topic and possible sources.

"Now remember, you can change your topic at any time during the course of the semester, but I want you to at least choose something now. Additionally, the possible list of sources needs to include at least fifteen sources. Please note that you need to include both journal articles and books. Also, please make sure you turn it in with proper formatting—otherwise, you'll automatically lose points. So, exchange contact information with your partners and make plans to turn in your topic one-sheet," Professor Wu finished with a flourish of her hands, dismissing the class for the morning.

As Zuko turned to Katara, she slid a small piece of paper across his desk. On it were her cell phone number and her e-mail address. "Here's my info. Do you have any time this week to meet up at the library and throw this one-sheet together?" she asked while she packed up her stuff.

Zuko took the small paper and shoved it into his back pocket as he stood up, backpack in hand. "I'm not sure since I don't have my final schedule, but I usually work Friday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday morning. But I could meet up with you on Sunday night…"

"Okay, Sunday it is. Give me a call sometime that day and we'll figure it out from there. Later," she called over her shoulder as she walked across the room. _That wasn't so bad…_she thought to herself as she strode to her next class.

----------------------------------

Katara stood at the counter, staring again at the extensive menu before her. She thoughtfully bit her lip before ordering, "I'll take the chicken teriyaki bowl and an iced peach boba, Iroh."

"Great choice, Katara. Will you be sitting outside or inside?" the old man asked with a smile while taking her money.

"I think I'll sit inside—I have some reading to do and I don't want to get distracted. By the way, I have some fliers for a show by a friend's band. I was wondering if it was okay for me to hang them up on the bulletin board by the front door."

"Sure, when is your friend's band playing?" Iroh replied as he fixed her drink.

"They're playing this Saturday night at The Underground," she replied as she tacked the fliers up to the board.

"The Underground— I've heard of that place. It's the all-ages nightclub on the other side of campus from here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, my buddy, Jet, he and his band The Freedom Fighters are playing that night. It's only a five dollar cover and we always have a really good time."

"It sounds like fun, I'll be sure to let some customers know about it," Iroh said as he handed Katara her drink.

"Thanks Iroh," Katara replied as she strode towards the back of the tea shop.

"You're welcome, as always, Katara," Iroh said as he thoughtfully stroked his beard. _Maybe someone besides our customers would be interested in going to that show…I'll have to make sure he has time off this weekend._

---------------------------------

Zuko glanced at the new schedule tacked to the manager's office door. Reading through it, he furrowed his brow in confusion. _Why would Uncle give me Saturday night off? I usually close that night. I'll have to take this up with him immediately, he's getting old and he can't keep staying up late to close the shop on weekends._

Knocking on the door, Zuko waited for his Uncle's reply.

"Who is it?" Iroh queried through the door.

"Uncle, it's me. We need to talk," Zuko stated while opening the door.

"What do we need to speak about, Zuko?" Iroh asked as he looked up from the paperwork he was completing.

"Why did you give me Saturday night off Uncle? I usually close that night—I don't want you staying up late with all of the hooligans that show up just before midnight."

"Zuko, I'm not as old as you think I am," Iroh said with a chuckle. "Besides, you should be out celebrating the completion of your first week of classes with other students. Young people should be out reveling in their youth, not working behind counters watching others having fun."

"Uncle, I appreciate that, but it's not like I have any plans…"

"You don't need to make plans. I heard a student talking about this club near campus…What did they call it? Oh, yes, The Underground. I guess they have bands play there and whatnot. It sounds like it could be fun. Besides, you might make some new friends."

"I'm not gonna go to some show, not knowing anyone and just sit there by myself, Uncle…"

"Well, would you rather I go with you, nephew?" Iroh queried innocently, knowing full well what Zuko's response would be.

"Of course not Uncle! But I'll think about going anyways. Do you have any more info about the show?" Zuko asked while he stood in the doorway.

"I think someone put up a flier on the bulletin board at the front of the tea shop—some band called The Freedom Fighters, I think," Iroh replied as Zuko stepped out of sight. _If nothing else, I can live vicariously through the life of my nephew!_

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Zuko had been lazily surfing the net that Thursday night. He had finished his homework and eaten dinner with Uncle. There wasn't too much on TV, so he decided to just go to his room and relax. With his laptop resting on his legs, he leaned against the pillows and headboard as he began checking his various online personas.

He checked his LiveJournal first, as it was the one he kept up with the most. He typed in a few updates and then logged into his MySpace account. He didn't check MySpace all that often. He had gotten the account when he first started college, before it became so popular. As soon as it seemed that everyone and their mom had a profile on MySpace, Zuko lost interest in the social networking site.

For some reason, he decided to search around MySpace, glancing through the profiles of old friends and classmates, checking their pages for any interesting tidbits. Sometimes, he even checked Azula's page, clicking through her pictures or reading her blog. Most of the time, it was some party or another that Azula's sorority had put on. In her photos, she'd have this devilish grin on her face, while Mai, one of Azula's best friends and Zuko's ex from high school, held a look of absolute boredom on her face and Ty Lee, Azula's other best friend, always seemed to have her mouth gaping wide open because she always happened to be talking to someone any time her picture was taken.

Suddenly, Zuko remembered that Katara had given him her e-mail address. _I could check her page and see what other interests she has. That way, maybe we'll have something to talk about…_

Digging through the pocket of his pants that were lying on the floor, Zuko found the crumpled up piece of paper. He quickly typed Katara's e-mail address into the search window and pulled up her profile.

He glanced through the page, looking for anything she might be interested in. He looked through photos, some of her with her teammates, others with kids in what looked like the lower tier…_Why is she hanging out with those kids? Sounds like something to talk to her about…_

Then, he clicked back through to her profile page. Before he left her page, he noticed that she had her IM listed. He was already signed into his IM account, maybe if she was online, he could chat with her and find out a little more about her. _But, if she finds out it's me, she probably won't say anything of importance…Well, she doesn't have to know it's me chatting with her, right? Besides, I'm only going to ask her about her interests, it'll be completely innocent._

With that, Zuko typed in Katara's IM identity, h2opologurl, hoping to find out if she was online. Suddenly, it dinged that she was available. With a little trepidation, Zuko typed out "hi."

---------------------------------

It was late Thursday night. Katara was sitting at her desk, attempting to complete a worksheet for her biology lab. _I need a brain break… I wonder if anyone's online to chat right now._

With that, she grabbed her laptop and sat on her bed. As soon as it was on, she signed on to her IM account and checked her buddy list. No one was online right now, she sighed. _Oh well, I guess I'll just surf around for a little while and check MySpace and e-mail for any new messages._

Before she could even sign on, her IM window dinged with a new message. It was from someone named "bluspirit" and all it said was "hi."

Not knowing who the bluspirit was, Katara typed "hi" back. When she didn't hear the familiar ding of a new message, she typed, "who r u?"

Soon enough, a response came back:

bluspirit: saw ur myspace profile. u seem cool. wanna chat?

Katara glanced at her desk and her unfinished biology homework, knowing that she didn't entirely mind the distraction. Besides, she was a little flattered that some stranger had thought she was cool simply by looking at her profile. She responded, "sure."

--------------------------------

Zuko had hesitated when Katara, at the other end of the chat, responded "sure." _What do I say now? _Suddenly, Uncle's words came back to him—_find common ground_.

With that, Zuko started typing:

bluspirit: i go to bssu. do u?

And their conversation of intros continued:

h2opologurl: yup. phys therapy major. u?

bluspirit: biz major. got any hobbies?

h2opologurl: water polo

bluspirit: makes sense lol im not the most observant

----------------------------

Katara chuckled when she got the response back from bluspirit. _At least bluspirit has a sense of humor_.

She typed in a few questions for bluspirit. She found out bluspirit was a he and a junior at BSSU. She found out about his moniker—evidently he really liked the Blue Spirit comic book hero. _So, he's just a harmless comic book nerd_, Katara thought. _He can't be too bad of a guy._

Soon enough, Katara figured out she'd been chatting with bluspirit for nearly an hour and it was getting late. While she found herself openly laughing at some of his jokes, she realized she never really hit it off with someone that quickly, either online or in person. Hesitantly, she typed in that she had fun chatting with him and asked:

h2opologurl: u busy saturday nite?

bluspirit: no y?

Katara took a deep breath and typed:

h2opologurl: 7 pm show underground club. wanna go?

-------------------------------

Zuko's eyes widened when he realized that Katara had just asked him out…to the show Uncle had mentioned on Saturday night. _It's just a coincidence. And what is she doing asking out some stranger?_

Zuko thought about it for a moment. Katara didn't know it was him and, he had to admit, he did have fun chatting with her under the guise of "bluspirit." Since he wasn't really worried about what she thought of him, he felt like he was able to say anything. He even tried making a couple of jokes—and she actually responded like they were amusing. _She just wants to meet in person as friends_, he thought.

He slowly typed back "maybe," not wanting to disappoint her. She typed back:

h2opologurl: look 4 me if u show up. sorry got 2 go now. nite

Zuko barely had time to type back "nite" to her before the computer dinged that h2opologurl had signed off. He signed off himself and turned the computer off, placing it on his desk. _Maybe I will go to this show. It's just an opportunity to find some "common ground" like Uncle suggested. _With that, he turned off his light and got into bed. _Uncle does give good advice—maybe I should listen to him for once_, Zuko thought as he drifted into slumber.

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Author's note: Another long one…So, I've somehow been able to work in the Blue Spirit and Jet and his Freedom Fighters! The next chapter takes place at The Underground…with the rest of the gAang…Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 6**

The world passed her by in a blur of low-income housing, dilapidated buildings, and parks used more often by drug dealers than by children. But Katara still felt hope—she always did after volunteering at the teen center in the Lower Tier. The train made its way through the city, pausing every so often to pick up or drop off passengers. It made for great people-watching, but Katara was always lost in thought on these trips, staring out the window and watching the great city of Ba Sing Se transform itself before her eyes. The change from Lower to Upper Tier was slight at first, and then suddenly, the great bustling center of the Earth Kingdom capital came within view, unveiling its largesse.

Eventually, the train came to the BSSU stop on campus. Katara ascended from the train's subterranean station and making her way towards her residence hall, her cell phone rang.

As she examined the caller ID window, she picked up the call, "Hey big brother. We still on for lunch?"

"Yeah—when can I come and pick you up? I'm starving!" Sokka emphasized.

"Why don't you just come on over now?" Katara replied knowing full well that her brother had the annoying habit of exaggeration when it came to anything involving food.

"Okay…You know, if ah, Suki's around, she's more than welcome to come," Sokka stated nonchalantly.

Smiling into the phone, Katara replied in a sing-song fashion, "Sokka likes Suki, Sokka likes Suki!" As Sokka made a yelp of surprise, she relaxed and continued, "Yeah, I'll see if she wants to join us." In mock sadness, she continued, "Although I'm a bit hurt that my big brother can't seem to enjoy lunch with just little ol' me…"

Fumbling for an excuse for the invitation and not noticing Katara's sarcasm—as thick as it was—Sokka responded, "Uh, I don't want her to sit alone on such a nice Saturday afternoon, that's all, Katara!"

"Don't worry, Sokka, I'm just teasing you," Katara stated dryly as she rolled her eyes. "So, how soon will you be here?"

"Fifteen minutes…oh and don't forget to ask Suki!"

"No prob, big bro. See you in 15!"

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The morning rush had come and gone. It was lunchtime and on Saturdays it provided Zuko an opportunity to catch up on paperwork and inventory. As he went through the disposable cups and other various supplies, he thought about his evening off. _Should I even go? Maybe Uncle's right and I should attempt to 'make nice' with her…Ugh, this is stupid! Why should I care what some stupid girl thinks of me?!?_ In his moment of distraction, Zuko let out a groan as a bag of lids came flying down from the top shelf as he checked its contents. "Ughh!" was all the employees out front heard.

Soon enough, one of the workers popped their head in to check on Zuko, "Uh, hey Zuko, you alright in there?" was all Zuko heard.

"I'm fine!" he shouted out, more in frustration than at the person addressing him. Realizing how he may have sounded, he softened, "I'm fine—thanks. I'll be out in a few minutes to give whoever's at the front counter a break."

He cleaned up the mess and finished his paperwork quickly, noting what supplies needed to be ordered over the next week. With a sigh, he stood up, walked to the manager's office and placed the order form on the desk. Walking towards the counter, his eyes widened as he saw the customer walking towards the front door. _Great, just great…_

--------------------------------- 

"What do you mean there's some great place just off campus to eat? We always eat at Bato's restaurant…What's he going to think when we don't show up?" Sokka pleaded earnestly while thoughts of stewed sea prunes danced in his head.

"Sokka, it's not like he's going to know that we're NOT heading over there for once. Besides, there are other things to eat in Ba Sing Se besides food from back home. You should expand your horizons a little. And, it's cheap, so you'll be able to eat twice as much as you normally would," Katara said with a sly grin on her face, knowing that the offer of double portions would entice her brother into agreeing.

"Twice as much food, hmm? Fine, we'll try your 'new place,' but if it's not up to par, we're never going there again!" Sokka emphatically replied with a point of his finger.

Katara and Suki giggled as they made their way towards DragonsTea, knowing full well that Sokka would enjoy it. "Brothers," was all Katara could whisper to Suki before Sokka butted in.

"So, uh, Suki, how are your classes going?" Sokka queried, trying his best to win the girl's favor.

"Good— thanks for asking, Sokka. I'm thinking coming to Ba Sing Se was a really good idea," Suki responded, eyes downcast and a slight blush to her cheeks.

"Don't you mean Ba Sing Se UNIVERSITY?" Sokka emphasized in confusion.

"Uh, yeah, BSSU," Suki stated flatly. Hurrying to change the subject, she quickly asked, "So, uh, when's the first game of the season?"

"In a little more than a month," Sokka noted.

Katara cringed when she realized her brother's voice had hit a lower octave. _Probably trying to impress her. Sokka why do you even try? Girls either like you or they don't!_

As Sokka continued, "I think I'll be able to get tickets in the owner's box for you ladies. It would be all expenses paid—you know, free food and drink—while hanging out with the 'who's who' of Ba Sing Se."

Katara rubbed her temple and forehead with her hand as her brother tried all-too-hard to impress Suki. Luckily (for Sokka that is), Suki didn't catch Katara's expression.

"That sounds like fun, doesn't it Katara?" Suki said to Katara while keeping her eyes on Sokka.

_Great, I get to go out on a lunch date with my brother!_ "Yeah, Suki, sounds like loads of fun!" Katara cheerfully, albeit falsely, replied. She sighed a breath of relief as they neared the tea shop. _Finally! Maybe I can chat with Iroh while the lovebirds whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears…_

As they entered the tea shop, Katara internally convulsed when she saw Zuko walk up to the counter. Lining up at the counter to order, Sokka turned his attention to the task at hand, or rather, the menu at hand. He examined it in detail, stroking his chin in contemplation. As he did so, Katara internally cursed her brother's food addiction.

"Hey Zuko…" Katara acknowledged. Zuko nodded back, eyes going back and forth between Sokka and Katara. He noticed Sokka's critical eyeing of the menu and hesitantly asked, "Can I help you with anything? Do you have any questions?"

"Well, what do you recommend?" Sokka asked, noting with some suspicion that his sister already seemed acquainted with the guy at the counter.

"Well, if you like spicy food, Fire Nation cuisine is our specialty," Zuko said. Noting the immediate grimace on Sokka's face, he continued, "Or there's our teriyaki bowls—they seem to be popular. Or there's always our bentos…they offer a little bit of everything."

At that, Sokka's eyes lit up. "I'll take a bento—biggest one you've got. And some wontons, spring rolls and an iced—wait, which boba do you recommend Suki?"

"The strawberry green tea boba is good," Suki responded, eyeing the menu thoughtfully.

"And one of those," Sokka said, gesturing in Suki's general direction.

Sighing, Zuko asked, "Anything else?"

The girls detailed their order to Zuko and then went outside to grab a seat. Sokka paid before joining them. Taking his seat, he asked Katara carefully, "So how do you know that guy?"

Katara shrugged her shoulders and admitted that they had a class together.

"Oh yeah, what class?" Sokka asked quietly, as if it was some kind of secret conversation. His eyes thinned as he investigated the situation. _I don't like the way that guy looked at her_ was all Sokka could think, regardless of the fact that Zuko had barely looked at Katara at all during their brief encounter.

"Interpersonal comm," Katara replied coolly. Knowing she should change the subject before Sokka got all 'protective,' she asked, "So what are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing actually, my evening's free." As he glanced sideways at Suki, he asked in what Katara called his "ladies' man" voice, "What are you two up to?"

"Heading to a show tonight— Jet's band The Freedom Fighters are playing at The Underground," Katara replied, recognizing her brother's obvious attempt to hang out with Suki.

"Jet—what are you doing still hanging out with that guy? He's like all guys—except me, of course," Sokka paused while looking at Suki. "He just wants one thing, Katara…" Sokka warned while leaning in close to his sister to stress his concern.

_Jet already tried that Sokka and I wasn't stupid enough to fall for it!_ "I can take care of myself," Katara replied. "Besides, I'll be completely surrounded if Jet makes a move. Toph and Aang are showing up, and Suki's going to check it out, too, aren't you Suki?"

Wary of entering the siblings' conversation, Suki replied with a cautious, "yeah."

"Well, it sounds like I should check it out, too. I can catch up with Aang and Toph and keep an eye on you-know-who," Sokka emphasized.

Thankfully, the food showed up, cutting through the tension left hanging in the air. As soon as the platters were brought to the table, Sokka's eyes went wide. "You weren't joking when you said I was getting twice as much, Katara!"

The moment his plates hit the table, Sokka's previous worries were immediately dismissed. Without hesitation, he began stuffing a wonton and then a springroll into his mouth. Through mouthfuls of food, he said, "Mmm, this is really good. That guy at the counter knew what he was talking about." 

Disgusted at her brother's obvious lack of table manners, Katara dug into her food, ignoring her brother and his grunts of happiness. _  
_

------------------------------- 

"So, what time you guys heading over there tonight?" Sokka asked as he stood in the doorway of Suki's and Katara's dorm room.

"Um, probably around 7 or so. They never start on time, so we'll have a chance to chat with Aang and Toph," Katara answered. _I wonder if he'll show up tonight. I don't think I was too forward…_

"Okay, I'll stop by just before then to escort you two," Sokka replied with a slight flourish of his wrist. "See you then, Suki," he said with a wink.

_What a dork! Could he be any more embarrassing?_ "Yeah, see you then, Sokka!" Katara said with fake cheer as she closed the door on her brother.

"And try wearing something decent for once, Katara!" Sokka shouted through the door. Since silence followed his statement, Katara felt it was safe to talk to Suki about her brother's infatuation.

"Sorry if he's coming on a little strong, Suki. Just let me know if it bothers you and I'll talk to him," Katara apologized.

"I think it's kind of cute actually," said Suki with a smile.

_If she finds that cute, she either needs professional help or they're absolutely perfect for each other. I really hope she's not crazy…_Katara thought as she started to pick out what she would wear that night.

---------------------------------

As predicted, The Freedom Fighters had yet to start when Katara, Sokka and Suki showed up just after 7 p.m. As they walked in, Katara heard Sokka muttering something under his breath about her "absolute lack of decency when it came to clothes."

"Give it a rest, Sokka. I didn't have time to change and, besides, it gets crazy hot in here whenever there's a show. Just drop it," Katara replied tiredly as she looked around the large room, searching out their friends. _Why does he always try to tell me what to do when it comes to the opposite sex? And I'm definitely not trying to get anybody's attention, anyways!_

The Underground was below street level, making it darker than most other clubs. It also didn't help that the entire venue was painted black inside from floor to ceiling, making it even more gloomy and ominous. On the walls hung large psychedelic day-glo prints, their features enhanced by the black lights that shone upon them. People huddled in small groups all over the club, spotting its cavernous interior. Even though The Underground was rough around the edges, it was the only all-ages club in town that played halfway decent music and the underage students from nearby BSSU flocked to it every weekend.

Blue eyes still probing the room for her friends, Katara heard a familiar voice shout, "There they are!" Turning towards the voice, she saw Aang and Toph striding up to them quickly, stopping themselves short of a full sprint. Evidently, the two teenagers had mind enough to not look too excited to see their friends.

"Hey guys! I see you made it here okay," Katara said, hugging the bald boy and then turning to the pale skinned girl with a short black bob next to him. "And don't tell me that you snuck out again, Toph—I don't want to hear about how I'm contributing to the delinquency of a minor!"

"Fine then, Sugar Queen, I won't tell you," Toph said with a smirk. "Although, it is by far my best sneaking-out plan, yet!"

Katara groaned. _One of these days, that girl is going to get caught…I don't even want to think about the next level of crazy her parents jump to._

"Hi there, I'm Aang," the young man said, introducing himself to Suki.

"Oh yeah, Aang and Toph, this is Suki—she's my roommate and just joined the water polo team," Katara explained.

"Nice to meet you. So, how do you guys know each other?" Suki asked carefully, glancing at the blue arrow tattoos snaking down Aang's arms.

"Well, Aang and I met last year while volunteering at the teen center in the lower tier. He's a super genius and is in his last year of high school. Toph over here is his partner in crime," Katara responded with a smile, putting her arm around the dark haired girl's shoulder.

"Don't you mean, Twinkle Toes is MY partner in crime?" Toph teased. She clarified, facing Suki, "My parents are a little overprotective to say the least, so I have to pretty much sneak out anytime I want to hang out with my friends after dark." There was a tinge of exasperation in her voice. Then, turning to Sokka, she playfully punched him in the shoulder, "S'up Snoozels? How's the off-season treating you?"

Before Sokka could respond, The Freedom Fighters stepped onto stage. The crowd began to cheer loudly.

"Hey everyone, thanks for showing up. We're The Freedom Fighters and we're gonna rock this place tonight!" Jet exclaimed loudly into the microphone, holding his guitar at the ready. "Let's go!"

With that, the drummer fired away at his snare drums and got the band going on a fast and hard song. Rushing to join the enthusiastic crowd, the gang made their way towards the stage, weaving in and out of the crush of bodies.

--------------------------------- 

_I can't believe I'm doing this…but maybe Uncle's right, maybe it'll be fun? Then again, Uncle's idea of fun is a cup of ginseng tea and a game of pai sho…_Zuko thought as he made his way towards The Underground. After handing over the five-dollar cover to the burly-looking bouncer at the door (whose shirt simply read "THE BOULDER" across both front and back), Zuko made his way into the bowels of the seedy joint. As Zuko's eyes adjusted to the dim hall, he made his way towards the stage. The band had just crashed to a finish, accompanied by their fans' thunderous applause, and began introducing themselves to the crowd.

"As I said before, I'm Jet and we're The Freedom Fighters. On bass, none other than Samantha Ellen Bee, AKA Smellerbee" upon hearing her name, Smellerbee paused momentarily and waved at the crowd. "And on drums, we've got John Longshot. Longshot, play something for the good boys and girls."

Nodding in agreement, Longshot then went into a quick drum roll.

"Now play something for the bad boys and girls," added Jet with a smirk.

Longshot nodded again and hammered out an extensive, energetic drum solo that had the crowd stomping along in excitement. When he finished, the crowd hooted and hollered in appreciation. Stepping up to the mic, Smellerbee spoke in her trademark raspy voice, "I think we still need to play a few more songs here, Jet…" Stepping back, she played a walking baseline, nodding at Jet and Longshot to join. The song started slowly at first, however, it didn't last long before tearing into heart-stopping melody.

_These guys aren't too bad_, Zuko thought as he made his way closer to the stage. Not noticing the crowd pushing back away from the performers' platform, Zuko zigzagged through the fans. Suddenly, he found himself at the edge of a mosh pit, swirling with bodies. While some may have stepped back, Zuko found himself at the perfect point for watching the band, as there weren't any people immediately in front of him. Completely unconcerned by the wild violence erupting around him, he folded his arms and watched The Freedom Fighters rock on. _This looks like it's going to get interesting…_

----------------------------------- 

_I can't wait until they finish their intros, they always lead into "Tidal Wave" after this_, Katara thought excitedly to herself as she rushed forward. As soon as the band finished their intros, Katara heard Smellerbee's trademark bassline thrum out across the crowd. The moment the drumbeat quickened, she felt cool air surround her as the crowd parted and reformed into a somewhat empty circular shape.

Jumping into the pit, she started thrashing around with Aang and Toph. Sokka kept a close watch nearby, keeping Suki company as his sister enjoyed _what she calls_ music. _If anyone touches her, it'll be the last thing they do. _

It was a mass of hot, sticky bodies slam dancing every which way in the pit and Katara loved it—the lack of control, the movement and the music—it was a small way to forget all her worries and just move around to the beats laid out by the band.

As she made her way around the pit again, she caught her foot on something. It could've been plain clumsiness, another person's foot or someone's shoe that fell off as they ran around like madmen. But whatever it was, Katara was falling—and fast. She braced herself for the impact with the sticky concrete below her and closed her eyes. However, she never felt it -- and instead felt someone grab her arm and hoist her back to her feet. Surprised by her moment of cheating gravity, she looked up. _Holy shit! Is that Jerk Boy—what's he doing here? And why'd he help me?_ Katara lost herself in thought momentarily, staring at Zuko in shock, until Sokka walked up and pulled her from the crowd.

Dragging her to safety, Sokka shouted over the pounding music, "What were you thinking going into that pit, Katara—you could've been trampled!" Apparently he hadn't noticed it was Zuko who'd saved her.

"Sokka, I've been in worse pits before and come out in one piece. Besides, I'm fine—someone picked me up," Katara ended evasively as she glared at her brother. _I'm actually kind of lucky Zuko was there to help me…_

"Well, once Aang and Toph get out of there, we're heading home. I knew this was a bad idea!" Sokka shouted again.

"Sokka, don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Suki butted in. "She's okay, Sokka. Right Katara?" Suki added reassuringly, turning to her roommate.

"Right," Katara replied smoothly.

With a smile, Suki continued, "So, let's keep on enjoying ourselves and watch the band, okay?"

"Fine, but no more moshing for you!" Sokka said as he pointed at his sister.

Rolling her eyes, Katara started to make her way towards the makeshift bar, "I'm grabbing a bottle of water—you guys need anything?"

"Do they have anything to eat?" Sokka queried.

"No, just drinks—can't you wait until we're out of here?"

"Yeah, fine, I'll just have a bottle of water, too, then," Sokka replied in disappointment as his sister walked away.

Looking back at her brother, now engrossed in conversation with Suki, Katara observed the crowd. _I really should thank him properly…_She saw Zuko, now to the left of the stage, standing and enjoying the music. _I guess Suki was right; he does have one redeeming quality_.

Making her way towards Zuko, Katara glanced towards the stage. She locked eyes momentarily with Jet, who winked at her. As the song ended, Jet spoke into the mic, "This is for a special friend—hope you're having a good time, baby."

_What a joke, I can't believe I fell for that last year! For all I know, there are several "babies" in the crowd, _she thought to herself resentfully.As she reached her mosh pit rescuer, she tapped his shoulder. Not knowing who to expect, Zuko turned around to face the brunette.

"Thanks for catching me earlier," Katara said over the thankfully quieter song. "I would've been squashed otherwise. And sorry about my brother back there. He's a little overprotective."

"I guess you're just as clumsy _off _campus as you are _on_ campus," Zuko retorted without thinking.

_What the hell?! I come over here to THANK him for helping me and he's still being a jerk? Go to hell, Zuko—I don't need this_, Katara thought angrily.

Looking him dead in the eye, the muscle in her jaw tightened. "You know what? Never mind, you stupid jerk," Katara spat in disgust, turning to storm away. _I can't believe this guy!_

_Shit! That was stupid—what the hell am I supposed to do now? _Zuko thought to himself as he clenched his palms in frustration. As he mulled over the situation, the band ended their set.

"Thanks everybody—if you're interested in purchasing a CD, we're selling 'em up front!" Jet shouted into the mike as Smellerbee and Longshot started packing up their stuff. Jet quickly threw his guitar into its case and made his way offstage.

"Katara!" Jet shouted, running over to the blue-eyed young woman.

"Hey Jet—nice show, as always," Katara said, flashing her ex a polite smile. _Okay, Katara, you can do this. You haven't seen him since last school year. No big deal, just make some small talk and get out of here without making a scene._

"Glad to see you could make it. You're looking good, tonight, Kuruk. So, how's it going?" Jet smiled as he wiped his face off on his sleeve, admiring Katara's low cut tank top and hip hugging jeans.

"Same old—school, practice and volunteering. You?" Katara replied quickly. _I really hope Sokka doesn't notice me talking to him…I really don't need a confrontation right now._

Before Jet could answer, Zuko butted in, "Hey Katara…"

"You mind, buddy, we're trying to have a conversation here," Jet sneered at the newcomer.

"I just need to speak with you for a sec," Zuko continued patiently, eyeing the lead singer with suspicion.

"Fine. Excuse me, Jet," Katara answered, silently thankful for the interruption, but dreading the oncoming conversation. As Jet walked towards the stage to help packing up his band's equipment, he warily watched the two.

_Thank Gods that's over with, now to deal with Jerk Boy…_Katara quickly placed her hands on her hips and turned to her supposed 'savior.' "What? You trying to find a new way to insult me?" she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her. _If he does, it's trouble…_

Running his hand through his hair, Zuko started hesitantly, "I, uh, didn't mean to say that earlier." _She's about ready to rip you a new one and that's all you could come up with?_

Before he could continue, Sokka interrupted him from behind. "Katara, let's get going, I'm starving." Peering closer at the man across from him, Sokka wore a look of confusion, "You're the guy from lunch. What're you doing here and why're you talking to my sister?"

Realizing her brother was charging into 'overprotective'-mode territory, Katara took a cleansing breath and reluctantly introduced the two. _This definitely ISN'T what it looks like, Sokka. Please don't make a scene, please don't make a scene_, Katara internally pleaded. Turning to her sibling, she introduced them.

"Sokka, this is Zuko. He's my project partner for interpersonal comm this semester. Zuko, this is Sokka, my idiot brother."

"Hey, I'm no idiot!" retorted Sokka in self-defense. Examining Zuko critically, the elder Kuruk turned his attention back to his sister. "Yeah, well, let's get going. We want to grab a bite to eat at the diner down the street." 

"What's with the 'we'?" Katara asked with a smile as she concluded with relief her brother was too hungry to give Zuko the third degree. _Thank you Gods!_ "I know it's you who wants to go eat, Sokka—you've got the appetite of a saber-tooth moose! And I'll be with you guys in a sec, 'kay?"

"Fine," conceded Sokka after a moment, eyeing his sister's companion with obvious disdain and mistrust. He walked away to where Suki, Aang and Toph were waiting nearby.

Once Sokka was out of earshot, Zuko tried again. "Look, I just said that without thinking earlier. Anyways, we're still meeting up at the library tomorrow, right?" Zuko questioned as he glanced off to his right, refusing to make eye contact. _I can't afford to screw this project up!_

_Not much of an apology, but who cares. We need to get this assignment done. And the sooner, the better. _"Yeah, tomorrow afternoon, sound okay? Around 3?" Katara continued impatiently.

"Three it is…I guess I'll just meet you in front of the library, then," Zuko replied with his eyes downcast.

"See ya then," Katara agreed curtly as she walked away.

Zuko headed towards the restroom before leaving the club. As he washed his hands, his eyes rose to the mirror to meet those of the man standing immediately behind him.

"I don't know you, but I don't like you. My sister doesn't need any guys hanging on or around her," Sokka stated simply while glaring at Zuko via the mirror. "So just lay off. Understand?"

With that, Zuko nodded at Sokka. "Good," was all Sokka said as he exited the restroom.

_What the hell was that about? I don't even like her and her brother obviously lacks anything resembling decent skills of observation …_As he walked out of the restroom, he saw Katara exit the club with her friends. Her brother's words hung in his head as he watched her. _She's kind of cute when she gets angry…_Zuko mused to himself.

Shaking his head at the invasive thought, he made his way out the door and into the refreshing night air. As he walked home, Zuko reflected on the evening. _Tonight wasn't so bad,_ he realized with some surprise. _I had a good time. Maybe I should take Uncle's advice more often…go out a bit more. Meet… people._

And in the back of his mind, a last notion surfaced briefly and went nearly unnoticed by him, before descending again below the surface of his awareness_. Maybe…maybe things will get easier with her… _

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Author's note: Finally, my experience in the mosh pit becomes useful! This chapter featured some interaction between the gAang (there will be more soon), but was largely focused on Sokka. I can't help it—I just love the guy!

And a HUGE thanks to Moor—she helped bring this chapter together in a big way…Thank you Moor!


	7. Chapter 7

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 7**

_Interesting night_, Katara thought to herself as she grabbed her shampoo, conditioner and soap before heading to the women's restroom for a shower. _I need to wash this night off…Talk about uncomfortable—first Zuko, then Jet. From the arms of my jackass classmate to the presence of my ex…Doesn't get any better than that!_

She placed her basket in the stall and turned on the shower. Soon enough, the small space was filled with steam. Carefully, she tested the water with her hand. When it reached the right temperature, she disrobed and stepped in. As she lathered her hair, she replayed the night's events in her mind. _What was Zuko doing there? Iroh must have told him or maybe he saw the flier at the tea shop. Well, if he hadn't been there I would have some serious injuries from falling in the pit, that's for sure. _Shaking the confusion and Zuko from her mind, she finished her shower, toweled off and returned to her room.

_Thankfully, Suki's already asleep_. Katara thought back to the ride from the diner to their dorm. Sokka's face had worn a dumb smile nearly the entire time and Suki had seemed to enjoy his attention. _I hope Sokka knows what he's getting himself into—if things go awry between those two, I'm going to be stuck in the VERY uncomfortable middle!_

As she put on her pajamas, she frowned and realized that the shower had had the opposite of its intended effect—_I wanted to relax, not feel even more awake_. Katara still felt tense after the evening in the pit and slightly uncomfortable regarding the night's events. She looked around the room for something that would serve as an appropriate sleep aid. _Don't want to watch a movie—it might wake up Suki— and I don't feel like reading anything._ Turning her eyes to her laptop, she thought, _maybe I'll just surf the Net until I get drowsy?_

Sitting on her bed with her legs crossed in front of her, her hair still wrapped in a towel, she turned it on. The light from the screen illuminated her face as she signed on to her IM account, checking to see if anyone was online. _It isn't that late_…With a tinge of excitement, she noticed that bluspirit was online, too. She hastily typed a quick note:

h2opologurl: where were u 2nite?

Quietly holding her breath, she waited for his response.

----------------------------------- 

Zuko let himself into the house as quietly as possible. _No sense in waking up Uncle, he'd just want to get all the details of this awkward evening—and I'm in no mood to share._ Silently, he went to the kitchen and looked for a late night snack. Peering into the refrigerator, he spied some leftovers from dinner earlier that evening and grabbed them. Pulling a pair of chopsticks from one of the drawers, he proceeded to his room.

Zuko fumbled with the doorknob a moment before entering, squinting in the darkness until he found the light switch. The light tentatively flickered on, as he recalled the evening's events. _First I catch her and she thanks me -- then I automatically put my foot in my mouth and she's screaming at me again. What is it with me and girls?!? _As he nitpicked his conversation with her, focusing on as many details as he could recall, he relaxed in his desk chair and snacked on the leftovers. _I guess it could've been worse—I don't know how, but I'm sure it could've been…_

While Zuko's attempts at making nice with Katara had failed rather spectacularly, he realized it had been much the same as his other, previous attempts at interacting with the opposite sex. First, there'd been Song. They'd met in high school, shortly after he'd moved in with Uncle. She'd tried so hard to be his friend, only to have him push her away. Zuko had been lucky that his Uncle was friends with Song's mom and had thus been able to mitigate the situation. Now, whenever he saw Song, the words he'd overheard Uncle say over the phone to Song's mother would reverberate in his mind, _"It's not the boy's fault."_

Then, of course, there was Jin, his first "real" girlfriend. They had met at the tea shop in his freshman year of college. For some reason, she saw something in Zuko—he'd never understood what—but Uncle had encouraged him to spend time with her. When she'd asked him out, his Uncle had unfortunately been near enough to answer in affirmative for him. Their first date had been horribly awkward. He didn't know what to say, and she kept asking questions, only to receive pointless, one-word 'yes' or 'no' answers. If she hadn't initiated their kiss goodnight, they probably would never have had a second date. _She was sweet, but there was nothing long-term in that relationship. She didn't have any depth to her, no spark…_After dating for a couple of months, he broke up with her, using the infamous, "it's not you, it's me" line. She'd been upset initially, but thankfully, had wanted to remain friends.

But now, with the hot-tempered, blue-eyed brunette, Zuko was completely out of his element. He tried talking to her, but he always seemed to say exactly the wrong thing. _How am I going to deal with this—in order to get the grade, I have to be able to work with her. _Under the surface, he knew that she was a good person—she had plenty of friends that she seemed to genuinely care about and vice versa— he just had to find out what it took to bring out that side of her around him. _But what?_ He shook the problem from his mind, knowing full well that it was too late that night to try to come up with a plausible solution. Finishing up the last bite, he placed the container and chopsticks down. _I should just go to sleep and forget about it. Besides, I have to work tomorrow morning, then meet with her at the library…_

Changing into his Blue Spirit pajamas, he heard a familiar ding. He looked at his computer, still turned on from when he'd left earlier that evening. _Who would be messaging me this late? _Looking at the note, his eyes grew in surprise as he recognized the sender of the message. _She's awake at this hour? Should I even respond? Do I let her know it's me?_ The questions raced through Zuko's mind as he sat nervously at the desk. Tentatively, he responded:

bluspirit: couldn't make it, got sick

Lying to her made him uncomfortable. _I hate lying and I've never been good at it. I should fess up…_

h2opologurl: too bad, it was fun ;)

_She thought almost getting stomped on was fun? What kind of girl is she? Was our argument that forgettable? _

…_Maybe I didn't screw up as bad as I thought…_Thinking over the night's events, he forgot his good intentions of telling the truth, intrigued at what else she might mention regarding her evening out.

bluspirit: really?

----------------------------- 

Taking a deep breath, Katara stared at the screen momentarily. _I don't want to dump my problems on this guy…I barely know him. _She replied as honestly as she could without bringing up the unpleasant memories of the evening.

h2opologurl: friends+rockin band+moshingfun!

Smiling as she hit enter, she realized that she did have fun for a good portion of the evening. _Minus the uncomfortable conversation with Jet, dealing with Sokka and yelling at my classmate—yup, it was fun._

------------------------------------ 

He chuckled at her exuberant reply, almost surprised she didn't mention her near-encounter with the floor. As he typed, he thought to himself, _I wish she was this easy to talk to in person._ As they had a few nights before, they conversed back and forth to each other, joking around and musing on life, school and the concert he'd supposedly missed. Zuko learned that she was friends with the band, _maybe that's why the lead singer looked so put off when I interrupted? I wonder how well she knows him…_

Soon enough, another hour had passed as Zuko warily eyed the clock. _I've got to get to sleep now, or I'll feel like shit in the morning_. With hesitation, he typed "got to go, goodnite" to his online friend. Turning off his computer, he slowly placed it on his nightstand and closed his eyes. _Talking to girls isn't that bad…Or maybe it's just her…_ In moments, he was happily asleep.

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Walking to the tea shop the next morning, Zuko nearly groaned. He had cursed the sunlight that had poured through his window and practically begged for just five more minutes of sleep. He silently swore at his Uncle's smiling face when he finally stumbled to the kitchen to dump the dishware from his late-night snack.

Examining the dark circles under Zuko's eyes and his slow movements, Iroh said with a knowing smile, "Judging from how you look this morning, I assume you had a good time last night, nephew." _Ah, to be young again! _

"Yeah…fun," was all Zuko said as he went out the door and walked purposefully towards the tea shop. Squinting in the sunlight, he was suddenly grateful for the sunglasses he'd dug out from his drawer. _I haven't worn these since high school, but they'll do today_, he'd thought morosely when he found them.

Arriving at the tea shop, he unlocked and waited for the additional staff to arrive as he set out the chairs on the patio. When another worker showed up, Zuko retreated back inside and made himself a pot of ginseng tea. _For once, I NEED this…_he thought as he downed two quick cups of the strong, invigorating brew. The phone rang as he cleaned up his small mess. Picking it up, he listened to the strained voice at the other end.

"Zuko? It's Ghashiun, I'm sick and can't make it in today."

Speaking through clenched teeth, Zuko responded, "What do you mean you're sick, Ghashiun? You looked fine on Friday…"

"I must have gotten food poisoning or something, and I don't feel so good. I've been throwing up all night…Oh Gods, here it comes again," the sick man at the other end paused and began to make retching noises.

With that, Zuko pulled the phone away from his ear, waiting for a moment of silence before continuing. "Ghashiun, stay home, PLEASE," he ordered, then quickly hung up. Heading to the manager's office, he began calling everyone on the back-up list to see if anyone would come in to cover Ghashiun's shift. Of course, as the tea shop's staff consisted mainly of teenagers and BSSU students, not to mention the fact that it was early Sunday morning, no one picked up. _Well, I guess we're on our own today. Uncle has his White Lotus Society event today and he doesn't have a cell phone, so we'll have to manage._

---------------------------------

Katara woke up with a smile on her face—_what a pleasant dream…_She had imagined meeting bluspirit, who was, of course, extremely handsome, polite and well-spoken _and completely unlike all the guys you know_, her inner voice reminded. Unfortunately, it was one of those dreams where you don't remember faces, voices or any of the details. All Katara knew was that she had met him and that he was literally the man of her dreams…and she felt good. _What a way to start a Sunday_, she thought to herself roguishly, feeling a slight blush rise to her cheeks.

As she rose from her bed, she glanced over to Suki's bed, which now stood empty. _She must've gone to get breakfast or something and didn't want to wake me. It's almost noon_, she realized glancing at the small alarm clock nearby. Looking around her room, she mentally went through a short task list for the day. _Finish biology homework, do some reading for poli sci and meet up with Zuko at 3:00 p.m._ At the thought of meeting with her aggravating classmate, she scrunched up her nose in recollection of their interaction the night before. _Oh well, the sooner we decide on the project, the better._

Soon enough, Katara was stretching and cycling through tai chi solo forms. As she slowly went through each motion, she relaxed her breathing and focused her energy. She had started the martial art on the recommendation of Coach Pakku last year—"it will help you focus and provide balance to your training," he had noted. Knowing Coach Pakku had trained some of the best water polo players in the world, Katara followed his instruction dutifully and found herself enjoying the practice, feeling its gentle and calming influence on her during game time, especially during close matches.

As she completed her last form, she noticed the growing ball of hunger in her stomach. _Guess it's time to eat! _Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, she went downstairs to the dining hall, bookbag in hand. _I might as well do that reading while I grab breakfast_. _And I need to come up with something for our class project, too_, Katara thought with a small groan of dismay.

---------------------------------

When he finally had time to glance at the clock on the wall, his eyes widened in surprise. _It's already 2:30! I have to get out of here soon—where did the time go! _Stopping by the manager's office, Zuko unsuccessfully searched for his backpack for five minutes. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized in his stupor that morning that he was going to need it that afternoon and had left it sitting on his bedroom floor. Thankfully, he did remember his cell phone and quickly texted Katara, thumbs flying over the keypad:

running late c u 3:30 sorry

Turning to the staff that had just come in for the evening shift, he shouted as he ran out the door, "Gotta go! Make sure to re-stock everything since we were short-handed this morning!" Jogging the entire way home, Zuko flew through the house, grabbed his backpack and hurried as quickly as possible to the library. _I really hope she doesn't start screaming again…_

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The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees above, dotting her mocha tan and dark hair as she made her way towards the library. _It's so beautiful today, it's a shame I'll be stuck inside. It would be so nice to go for a swim right now!_ Walking towards the library, she concentrated on the task at hand. _What will we do our project on? Think Katara, think!_

Her cellphone buzzed in her pocket as she ran a few ideas through her mind. Pulling out the device, she grumbled under her breath as she read the message on the small screen. _He's running late—fabulous. At least, he apologized…Guess I'll have time to grab a study room and some books before he gets there._ In moments, she reached the entrance to the library. Stepping inside the quiet building, she made her way to the reserve desk and addressed the man at the counter. "Hello Mr. Zei. Think I can get a small study room for the afternoon?"

She innocently smiled at him as he turned around, book in hand as always. "Of course, Katara. How long do you think you'll need it for?" the unassuming man asked, grinning while pulling out a small log book. "We have a small room available for the rest of the day, if you'd like?"

Smiling in return, she recalled her interaction with Mr. Zei last spring when he caught her and Jet in a somewhat compromising position. _So every time I visit now, I'll have to relive the moment he caught us making out that night_. _This is gonna be one helluva semester…_"I'll take it, there's no telling how much time we'll need to figure out our project. Which one is it?"

"Third floor, room C. It has a nice view of campus, too, in case you need the distraction," he responded with a small wink. "Don't forget to check out when you're done, okay?"

"No problem, Mr. Zei. Thanks and have a great afternoon!" Katara waved as she turned around and made her way up to the third floor. _Did he just wink at me? _she thought as a small shudder of disgust rolled through her shoulders. As she walked upstairs, slightly disturbed at the librarian's knowing wink, she texted Zuko, letting him know where she would be when he arrived. _This is going to be some afternoon, _shethought to herself as she sighed in resignation.

When she found the room, she turned on the light and placed her bookbag on the small table. Pulling out her laptop, she quickly logged into the library's catalog via the Web and searched for books and journals on interpersonal communications. Pulling up some satisfactory results, she quickly left to grab a few of the books. _Hopefully, these will provide some much-needed inspiration._

-------------------------------- 

When Zuko entered breathlessly into the room, Katara momentarily glanced up from the book she was reading.

Taking a deep breath, he apologized hastily, "Sorry for running late. It was crazy at the shop this morning—someone called in sick and we were a lot busier than usual." _Please don't start screaming…I really can't take it this morning._

"No worries—you're here," she said calmly. "So let's get started on figuring out what we're going to do this report on," she replied, her eyes already back on the book she was paging through. She quickly handed him another tome. "Look through this one for ideas. I've already written down a couple of things, which we'll discuss after we get through these."

While he was impressed with her sense of organization and can-do attitude, he was a little put-off by her orders. With a small scowl on his face, he thought to himself, _just suck it up and get this over with_. While they read on in silence, Zuko snuck in furtive glances to see if he could read her mood. _I guess she's not upset with me for showing up late_, he reassured himself with a small shrug of his shoulders. As he relaxed in his chair, his stomach suddenly began tightening in hunger. _I forgot to eat lunch and now I'm starving. When it rains, it pours_, he internally lamented._ Nothing's open on campus on Sundays, either, so I guess I'll just wait 'til I get home. _As if retaliating against the thought, Zuko's stomach suddenly let out a ravenous growl.

Snickering under her breath, Katara looked over at Zuko questioningly, "Are you okay? You sound pretty hungry. I haven't heard a noise like that since Sokka was in high school…"

"I just forgot to eat lunch—it was busy. I'll be fine." At that, his stomach once again growled and his face began to show signs of mild embarrassment.

Hoisting her bag up to the table, Katara began digging through it. "I've lived with Sokka long enough to know that once your stomach gets to that point, you pretty much have to eat as soon as possible. And growing up with my ever-starving brother taught me a few things—like never leave home without snacks. Ta-da!" With a triumphant smile on her face, Katara pulled out a few bags of miscellaneous snacks.

"I've got some blubbered seal jerky, some dried sea prunes, a bag of fire flakes and a couple of boxes of coconut water…grab whatever you want," she offered. _Besides you can't leave now, we haven't even figured out what we're doing for our project!_

After glancing at Katara and the food a couple of times, Zuko asked, "You're sure?" _Why is she sharing her food with me?_

As if sensing his inner monologue, she replied, "Don't worry it's not poisoned or anything. Besides, nothing around here is open on Sunday afternoons and we need to get this assignment together—it's due tomorrow!" As if to emphasize her point, she pushed the food in his direction, looking at him sternly and simply commanded him, "EAT!"

With a small grimace, Zuko grabbed the bag of fire flakes and began snacking while paging through another book. _Who does she think she is, telling me what to do?_ After a few bites, though, his attitude softened, _it does help to have a little food in my stomach…at least now I can concentrate. I guess she can be nice to me in person when she wants to_. After finishing the bag, he quietly mumbled a "thanks" to her and grabbed the jerky and a box of coconut water.

As he quietly ate, she began to talk in way that made it sound as if she was thinking out loud and not necessarily addressing him. "It's easy to forget to eat and sleep sometimes," she said, flipping through a journal almost absent-mindedly before putting it aside and choosing another reference. "During mid-terms last semester, we were in the middle of the water polo season—I was training early in the morning, running back and forth to classes and then to games in the afternoons. With all the tests, I was staying up late cramming and not getting much sleep. I got so busy, I forgot to eat. I ended up running myself ragged for a couple of weeks. If my brother and my coach hadn't noticed, I probably would've ended up losing my scholarship and disappointing my team," she ended without looking up from her latest book. _Why did I just open up to him like that? _she wondered to herself, a bit confused by her own admission_. Guess he's just easier to talk to when he just shuts up, _she decided uncharitably

_Why would she tell me something like that, something that personal?_ Zuko thought as he leafed through the last book. Without acknowledging her short speech, he put the book down. "What did you come up with?"

As Katara laid the book on the table, she glanced at the list she had been keeping over the past hour or so. "'Non-verbal behavior', 'the use of humor in storytelling,' 'technology's effect on interpersonal comm'—," but before she could continue, Zuko interrupted her.

"Wait, what was that last one?" he queried quickly, an idea forming in his mind.

She raised her eyebrows at him in response and said, "'technology's effect on interpersonal comm' Why?"

Recalling his IM conversations with her over the past couple of nights, Zuko's mind raced. _Why is it so much easier for me to speak with her online, rather than in person? Because there are no visual cues and I actually have to think before I respond…Not to mention she doesn't know it's me…_ "How about we do something on how communication at the interpersonal level is affected by our use of technology. You know, IM, texting, chatting, e-mail?"

Tilting her head to the side and carefully considering the idea, she quickly nodded in agreement. "It's an awesome idea, Zuko—good job." She flashed him a smile, "Well, now that we've figured out what we should do, let's start digging up some sources, 'kay? I'll look through the books that I've already been through and you do the same." _I'm actually impressed. Who knew he could come up with something like that? I guess this won't be as horrible as I thought. Maybe this 'partnership' will work? Just maybe Jerk Boy is a capable classmate—at least it looks like he has more than just two brain cells to rub together…_

"Okay," he responded before delving into another book. _Did she just smile at me? I wish she'd do that more often—it's definitely more attractive than the look of disdain she's usually wearing—at least around me. Wait a second—did I just say she was attractive? Where did that come from? _Before Zuko could examine the thought further, he noticed Katara typing away quickly on her computer. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at books on non-verbal cues—when you're online chatting, you don't have the visual cues you normally would in a conversation. You know, body language, hand gestures, facial expressions. Why not look up a couple of sources on the subject and put them on the list?"

"Oh," he said in reply. _Impressive, she's got the concept down._ _She's smarter than I thought_, he noted. With a shrug of his shoulders, he started leafing through another journal.

"I'm heading to the stacks to pick up a couple of books, I'll be right back," she informed him as she walked out of the room, not waiting for a reply.

As she walked away, Zuko couldn't help but notice the slight sway of her hips as she exited. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly pushed the indecent thought from his mind and began to focus in earnest on the words in front of him. _What are you doing looking at her like that? She's your partner and up until a few minutes ago, she thought you were a complete jerk. And there's no way of telling that she's **beyond** thinking you're a complete jerk, either, _his mental voice reminded him_. Besides, you can't even talk to her unless there's a couple of computers between you! And don't forget about her crazy brother, either!_

As Zuko went through page after page in frustration, he finally felt the toll of the day's events. His eyes started to droop. Fighting to stay awake, he found himself entranced by the words dancing in front of his eyes, which seemed to will him into slumber. By the time Katara returned, he was asleep with his head resting on his arms, slumped silently over the small table.

_Great, he comes up with something that actually resembles a great idea and he falls asleep! _Biting her lip in concern, she reconsidered, _he must be pretty worn out from last night and working this morning. And if he hadn't been there last night, I might have been in the same position now—only with bruises_. With a small sigh—_I might as well let the guy sleep for a while—_she sat down and attempted to go through one of the books she'd brought in.

As she typed up the citation list on her laptop, she found herself glancing his way. _Funny, he almost looks happy when he sleeps. Why can't he look more like that in person, as opposed to that tired look of angst?_ Katara realized that the thoughts were simply careless, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his relaxed form. _He almost looks…sweet…_She hadn't realized she'd leaned in towards him as she brushed some stray hair from his eyes—it was as if her body was moving on its own. When she touched him, she felt the softness of his skin before he stirred out of his nap. Pulling her hand from him quickly, she quietly stammered, "You fell asleep and I was trying to wake you up. Sorry." She turned her eyes from him rapidly, willing herself to focus on the computer screen before her. _You did not just do that! Why were you touching him to begin with? You should've let him sleep_, she thought uncomfortably.

Zuko stretched his arms wide and yawned. _I never noticed how tight that T-shirt was on him_, Katara thought as she watched him awaken, barely registering the small feeling of warmth spreading across her cheeks.

"Sorry for falling asleep, I guess I was really tired from last night," he said nonchalantly, not noticing her previously intent gaze on him. Noting she was typing on her laptop, he asked, "Have you started on the list of sources?"

With a start, Katara responded quickly, "Yeah, just need about five more sources. Anything you come across before you fell asleep that fits the bill?"

Handing her a small stack, he was relieved and surprisingly heartened that her voice carried no criticism of his short slumber. "Yeah, these should be enough for the list. I guess we're almost done then, huh?" _It's almost too bad we're finished_, he reflected, but before Zuko could consider the thought further, it slipped back into his subconscious.

"Yup—I'll just type these up while you return the books and journals to the cart outside," Katara said quickly, not glancing up from her computer in case the red tint to her cheeks had not yet disappeared.

"Okay," he said slowly. _Why's she acting so weird? _Checking his mouth, he thought to himself, _I hope I wasn't drooling or talking in my sleep…_Shrugging off the thought, he grabbed all the books from his side of the table. As he grabbed the books near Katara, his arm brushed hers, sending a small wave of sensation up his limb. Holding his breath for a moment, he quickly mumbled "sorry" and quickly exited the room. As he placed the books on the cart, he unconsciously rubbed the area where his arm had brushed against hers. _What's with me? I must be more tired than I thought. Or maybe I just liked touching her?_ _What am I thinking; she's my classmate, nothing else! But she's a pretty classmate…who doesn't mind talking to me—at least online. _Shaking his head in frustration and disbelief, he re-entered the small study room.

---------------------------------

When he left the small room, Katara's mind raced for a moment. _What was that? Did I actually shiver when he brushed my arm? I must be more hard up for male attention than I thought. Well, you did go to the concert last night expecting to at least talk to Jet…or almost any other cute guy…and instead you run into Zuko—who isn't half bad looking. Wait a second, Katara, this is Jerk Boy we're talking about here. Just concentrate on your work and get out of here! _She typed the rest of the list rapidly and double-checked it before saving the document. In moments, Zuko was back in the room. Pausing behind her, he momentarily hovered above her to read over the list. Feeling his breath above her, Katara sat straight up, frozen in shock and discomfort. She held her breath as he stood there, scanning the laptop's screen. _Hurry up before I turn blue in the face Zuko!_

"Looks good," he simply said before walking back to the other side of the table to pack up his possessions. As he gathered the trash from his impromptu snack, he turned to her with a sincere look in his eye and muttered "thanks for the snack," before he diverted his eyes and grabbed his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder.

"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow," Katara said as she powered down the computer and placed it carefully in her bookbag. "I'll just check us out of this room before I head out." _You've got to get out of here—if I have to watch him flex one more muscle, I'm going to lose it…Why did you have to notice that now—it must be this stinking library! After what happened last semester, you must be associating it with certain 'feelings.' That's it— it's the library's fault! _

"Okay then, see you tomorrow," he said, glancing over his shoulder and giving a short wave as he walked away. _That wasn't so bad…at least it was…easier. _Giving way to cautious optimism, Zuko half-heartedly smiled, _maybe this'll work out okay. I guess I can always try bringing it up next time we IM each other. I'll have to remember to ask her about water polo—seems like it's important to her…_

----------------------------------- 

Making her way back to her dorm room, Katara shook her head in disbelief over her reactions to their casual physical contact. _You were just weirded out from that dream this morning and you haven't been out on a date in ages, Katara. Totally normal behavior considering you don't have a boyfriend or the prospect of one in the near future…_With a look of slight horror on her face, Katara made the startling realization, _Oh Gods, now I sound desperate! Besides he's Jerk Boy! _She practically stomped up to her room as she grew increasingly frustrated with her schoolgirl reaction to Zuko. _There is absolutely no way anything would happen anyways! And even if it were the least bit possible—which it's not— I absolutely refuse to acknowledge it!_

With a huff, she stopped herself short of throwing down her bag, remembering her precious laptop inside. Shaking her head, she grabbed her wallet and headed towards the convenience store downstairs. _Your blood sugar must be low, that's why you're losing it! _she decided, desperately clinging on to the excuse. _But he isn't entirely horrible. Suki thinks he has AT LEAST one redeeming quality—he did pull you out of that damn pit, remember? Besides, Jet didn't look too happy when he interrupted last night…jealousy's a bitch, huh Jet?_

Remembering the look on Jet's face the previous evening helped to temporarily distract Katara from her possible attraction to Zuko, planting a somewhat smug smile on her face. Unfortunately, the possibility of Jet's jealousy didn't pacify her inner monologue long. _At least he's smarter than Jet…What are you thinking, Katara?!? _As she went down the stairwell, she let out a little frustrated scream, "This is not happening!"

Thankfully, no one was there to hear her small confession.

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Author's note: So it's late and here I am finishing up the edits that Moor thoughtfully provided. Hope you don't hate the bits of fluff and find this chapter mildly entertaining. I'll try writing up another chapter and posting it this weekend. And, thanks to Moor for serving as my always attentive beta!


	8. Chapter 8

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!

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**Chapter 8**

Zuko made his way across campus, taking in the warm breeze and long shadows of the afternoon. _It is almost too bad we were done so quickly. Well, I guess we're technically not done yet, anyways. There's still the actual project to do…_

Losing himself in thought regarding his various homework assignments, he quickly made his way back home. As he entered, he could smell the beginnings of dinner as he heard Iroh humming a tune to himself. _Ah, real food…it smells SO good. Thank you, Uncle!_

He placed his backpack on the floor near the front door as he made his way to the kitchen. Iroh was standing and chopping vegetables at the island in the middle of the kitchen. Behind him, a large, cast iron wok was sizzling and beginning to smoke. Zuko hungrily watched his uncle's every move.

"Ah, Zuko, I see you're finally home," Iroh remarked happily as his favorite nephew walked in. With a warm smile on his face, he continued, "I hope you've brought your appetite—I'm making chicken stir-fry for dinner with steamed rice. I was lucky enough to have some time to stop by the store and pick up some mochi ice cream for dessert. Mango is your favorite, no?"

Zuko's mouth almost immediately began to salivate at the thought, "Yes, Uncle it is. We'll be eating soon?"

Iroh chuckled at his nephew's eagerness, "Yes, within a half hour. How has your Sunday been? I cannot imagine it went easily, especially after seeing the look on your face this morning…"

Zuko's face quickly contorted into scowl as he grabbed a small handful of julienned carrots from the cutting board and quickly popped them into his mouth, "Ghashiun called in sick—it sounded like food poisoning. Then, I had to practically run to the library to meet with Katara for our project." Recalling the afternoon's events, Zuko's face softened slightly. _Thankfully, she wasn't upset that I was running late!_

Noticing the change of Zuko's expression out of the corner of his eye, Iroh raised his eyebrows and carefully queried, "And how are things going with your project? Just as difficult?"

Pausing for a moment, Zuko mumbled, "Things seem to be…easier." With that, he turned around, leaving the kitchen and walked towards the hallway. "Let me know when dinner's ready, Uncle. I'll be in my room."

Watching the young man exit from the kitchen, Iroh mused to himself, _a wise man once said that "a kind word can warm three months of winter," Nephew. I hope you keep it in mind. _Turning back to the task at hand, the old man began dropping the chopped chicken into the wok before letting the carefully cut vegetables join it. As he did so, the wok began to hiss and steam. Humming again to himself, Iroh began to tentatively stir the vegetables, smiling and thinking to himself, _she is quite a nice young lady_…_I'll have to make sure I speak with her next time she stops by the tea shop._

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It was a bright clear morning, with the sun streaking across a pale blue sky. Walking to class with a bright smile, Katara realized, _it wasn't so bad, working with him yesterday. This project is nailed down, so now all we have to do is make it happen. The 10-page report and 10-minute presentation will whiz by between the two of us over the course of the semester…_

She quietly entered the near-empty classroom, sat down and pulled out the single-sheet assignment she and Zuko had put together the previous afternoon. Moments later, Zuko entered and sat next to her. "How's it going?" he asked casually as he got his notebook out from his backpack.

"Good, thanks," she said revealing a small grin in memory of his impromptu nap in the library. "How about you? Did you finally get some rest last night?" _I wonder what he sleeps in…pajamas, boxers, nothing…Cut it out, Katara—do NOT let your mind wander in that direction or you'll regret it._ _Ugh, you're a sick little tiger seal, aren't you?!? _Before her mind could continue, Zuko responded.

"Yeah, I slept pretty well last night—I practically fell into bed after dinner," Zuko admitted while averting his eyes. A small smirk graced his face; _you wouldn't believe the dream I had_…

Soon enough, Professor Wu entered the room, automatically ending the conversation among the students with her dignified demeanor. Pausing to place her notes on the lectern, she turned and smiled at the students before her, "Good morning, class. I trust you all had fabulous weekends coming up with your final projects. Please pass your one-sheets forward."

As she patiently waited for everyone to pass their papers forward, Professor Wu turned to Katara and Zuko. "I hope you two were able to work through your differences. You seem to have at least 'warmed up' to each other, if you will." Not knowing what to say, the young couple simply exchanged glances and nodded at their professor dumbly.

As Katara handed over their one-sheet, she momentarily held her breath, waiting for Professor Wu's approval. _Please say something nice, it's not like we have anything else to work with…_

"This looks…promising," Professor Wu praised with a thoughtful look after quickly examining their proposal. At this, Katara let out the breath she had been holding. _Thank you, Gods! _The matronly professor moved along the front row, collecting the project outlines as she passed. After she passed them by, Katara glanced at Zuko and beamed a hopeful smile._ Well done, Zuko—looks like she went for your idea!_

_She is beautiful when she smiles…I've got to figure out how to do that with more regularity_, Zuko thought momentarily before it slipped back into his subconscious and he returned his attention to Professor Wu.

After placing the papers on the large oak desk in the front of the room, the gray-haired professor turned to the class. She had a serious look on her face, as she usually did, but it changed into a look of good-natured understanding, as she spoke. "Again, none of your projects are set in stone; you can change them anytime during the course of the semester, if needed. I will be reviewing your proposals and will provide feedback next week."

Pausing a moment to see if there were any questions, she slowly continued, "Now, on with our lecture on non-verbal behaviors."

Professor Wu's voice droned throughout the lecture, pointing out the behaviors that pertained to non-verbal communication. Katara tried her best to concentrate, but found herself sneaking furtive glances at her partner as she wrote her notes. Mentally cutting Zuko's appearance apart piece by piece, _look at his hair—does he even comb it? And why does he always have that angsty look on his face? Then again, he is pretty handsome and can obviously pull it off anyway…STOP THAT_, she internally groaned. _Pay attention to the lecture and not your partner!_

Focusing her attention entirely on Professor Wu's explanation of the use of humor in storytelling, Katara found herself taking meticulous notes—not only on paper relating to the lecture, but also taking mental notes on the cute distraction at her side. _Hm, I wonder what he'd look like with a hair cut—what if it was shaved, like Aang's? That would look weird…What about with Sokka's 'warrior's wolf tail'? Ha—I can't believe that's what Sokka officially named his hair cut, going so far as to use the word 'warrior!' What a geek!_ Shaking off the thought of her brother's broad proclamation that he _and his hair_ were warriors, she turned her attention back to the elegant older woman's discussion.

Eventually, Professor Wu finished her lecture and announced a brief assignment. "Now, I'd like you all to see these behaviors and cues in action. As your in-class activity, pair-up and have one person tell a humorous story about a friend or family member. The other person will take notes on non-verbal cues you use while speaking. Don't forget about eye contact, hand gestures, speaking rate, facial expressions and body positioning! Now, please get started and note that we'll continue the exercise on Wednesday." As if to emphasize her orders, the grandmotherly woman clapped her hands and then quickly turned to watch the class from her desk at the front.

Turning to Zuko, Katara nodded at him, "I'll go first. Hmm…a humorous story about a friend or family member." Her eyes quickly lit up, remembering a fond memory of her older brother. "I've got it!"

Smirking at her enthusiasm, he turned his desk to face her. Watching her every move, he observed her demeanor and the little habits she used when speaking, jotting down portions of his thoughts. _She uses a lot of direct eye contact—big blue eyes watching you…Gesturing to explain her story—small brown hands frantically flying… Using facial expressions—wide smile beaming at you…_

"Okay, so we were in high school and Sokka got into our dad's cactus juice when Gran-gran, our grandmother, was out of town visiting friends." Recognizing the curious look on Zuko's face, she added, "my dad's in the South Pole Navy and was away at sea at the time."

Before he could stop himself, Zuko blurted out, "What about your mom? Where was she?" _Why'd you interrupt her? She'll just get annoyed at you again! Or worse…_

Her happy momentum interrupted, the brunette quietly answered with her eyes downcast, her voice barely heard over the hum of conversation in the classroom, "My mom died when I was really young." _Stop there, Katara, no need to share anything else with him…Just relax and get on with it!_

Surprised that he'd hit a nerve with his partner, Zuko paused his note taking and nodded in understanding. _I guess we have something in common after all—my mom isn't around anymore either…_

Acknowledging that Zuko seemed to understand, Katara took a deep breath and returned to her original train of thought. "Anyways, so Sokka got into our dad's cactus juice." Wildly gesticulating with her hands, she carried on. "It was a warm Friday afternoon—well, warm for the South Pole anyways— and I was out at practice at the time. I guess Sokka must've thought he'd have just a sip. The problem was that Sokka didn't stop at a taste. By the time I got home from practice, you would not believe what I found—Sokka was in the living room, TV blaring and he was inching across the carpet, doing the worm!" she ended with a giggle.

Raising his eyebrows as he took notes on her non-verbal behaviors, Zuko asked, "What's 'the worm?'"

"You don't know 'the worm?'" _How does he not know the worm? Has he been living under a rock where pop culture has no meaning?!? _"Well, it's this dance move where you kind of lay on the floor and make like a wave with your body, you know, so you look like a worm on the pavement or something after the rain?" she responded while imitating the movement with her hand on her desk.

With a noticeable chuckle as she reflected on the memory, "Anyways, all he kept talking about was how cactus juice was the 'quenchiest.' Of course, I had to help nurse my big brother back to health—er, sobriety," she explained with a laugh. "Eventually, he fell asleep, but by the time he woke up, he had a wicked headache. It was actually kind of fun to bang around the house a little more than usual, since every little noise echoed in his head while he was hung over."

_I haven't thought about that in such a long time…I have to remember to share that memory with Suki one of these days, especially if she continues to find him so—how did she put it? Oh yeah, 'interesting…'_

With a self-satisfied grin on her face, she quickly looked at the clock in the front of the room. "Oops, looks like it's time to go. My next class starts in fifteen." Shoving her notebook into her bag as she stood up, she called "See you Wednesday, Zuko!" She left with a small wave as Zuko slowly finished his last notes on their conversation.

"Uh, bye Katara," he said as she walked out. _Her brother got into the cactus juice…That's pretty funny, actually. I remember the first time Uncle let me drink at a family party years ago. I'm glad I wasn't so drunk I ended up doing 'the worm.' _He shrugged to himself as he packed his things.

"I see your attitude regarding your partner is changing, Mr. Sozin," Professor Wu remarked simply, not looking up from the small stack of papers she was reviewing at her desk.

Startled and not immediately noticing that he was the last student left in the room, "Yeah, I guess it's not so bad." Hurrying to leave, his eyebrows furrowed in recognition, _I didn't notice I was the last person in there…I'm surprised Professor Wu knows my name, too— she doesn't seem like the type to remember students so specifically. _Before he left the class, he turned to her with a small bow, "G'bye Professor Wu."

Smiling to herself, Professor Wu gathered the papers on her desk and placed them in a folder from her briefcase. Gesturing to the empty expanse of the room, she continued, "Goodbye, Mr. Sozin." _I knew they would find a way to work it out…_

--------------------------------------

By 11 a.m., Katara felt herself growing hungry. _Time to eat! But I can't possibly stuff my face like a little cow-pig again in the dining hall…Maybe I'll head over to the tea shop for an early lunch._

She quickly reached for her phone and called her roommate, "Hey Suki?... Yeah, you hungry for lunch, yet? Wanna meet up at DragonsTea in 15?... Yeah, okay see you there!"

Ending the call, she hoped for a split-second that Zuko was there. _He's definitely not THAT bad a guy…And seeing him outside of school isn't entirely horrible…_Shaking her head, she realized that her mind was "wandering" again. _Get it together, Katara—he's your classmate, not a potential boyfriend! But I wonder what kind of boyfriend he would make…_

As Katara considered the idea with a bit more enthusiasm than originally intended, she was snapped out of her stupor when she heard her name called. Recognizing the voice, she stopped mid-step and internally groaned. _Great, you just jinxed yourself! No more thinking about boys—next thing you know, Haru will pop out of a hole in the ground!_

"Hey Katara! How's it going?" Jet said in his trademark smooth voice as he rolled up alongside her on his skateboard. "Looking good as always, I see," he continued with a sly grin on his face.

Trying not to roll her eyes, she responded, "Good, thanks. I just finished my classes and am heading out for lunch with my roommate. How're you?" _Don't you have a sidewalk to defile with that board? Or maybe you could fall head-first into an empty pool? _Realizing she was smiling at the morbid thought, she quickly changed her expression. _You don't want him thinking you're happy to see him!_

"I just finished classes for the day, too. Mind if I join you for lunch?" he asked, chewing absent-mindedly on the ever-present toothpick in his mouth. "We haven't really had a chance to catch up…"

"Well…um," she paused while trying to dig up a good excuse to avoid having lunch with him. Finding herself without a polite reason to ditch him, she acquiesced, "Sure, I guess." Her eyes momentarily paused on his mouth, disgustedly she thought, _Ugh, what is up with that stupid toothpick? I can't remember how many times he accidentally poked me with that damn thing!_

"Cool, so where we heading?" Jet asked with a self-satisfied smirk as he jumped off his board and snapped it up with a quick kick. _It's a shame we didn't patch things up last semester…maybe now's my chance_, the lead singer hoped to himself.

"DragonsTea—that little tea shop just off campus. They have lots of stuff to choose from and a nice patio," the brunette replied in a lame attempt to make small talk. _Why couldn't you come up with a reason to avoid him? This is not how I planned on spending my afternoon. Okay, Katara just don't get emotional or weird and it'll be over with soon enough…_

As they made their way to the tea shop, they tried their best to keep the conversation neutral, chatting about vanilla subjects like classes and the weather, pausing every minute or so waiting for the other to reply. _So, you've talked about school and how hot it's been—you're quite the conversationalist! But it could be worse—at least we're not talking about 'us,' _Katara considered seriously for a moment.

Soon enough, they arrived and Katara prayed for a swift meal. _Thank Gods we're here! I just hope Suki's already inside—who knew speaking with him again would be this uncomfortable!_

Spying her roomie on the patio, Katara practically ran up to the girl. "Suki!" she cried, latching onto her like a desperately needed life preserver. "Hey! How's it going? Guess who I ran into on my way here—Jet, you know, the lead singer of The Freedom Fighters?" the blue-eyed girl said hastily.

_Whoa—what is up with her? Hmm, it's the lead singer that Sokka was all weird about—something about how all he wanted was 'one thing.' Then again, Sokka kind of bends the truth…Looks like Katara knows how to pick 'em, though. _

"Hi Suki, nice to meet you. Were you at the show on Saturday?" Jet asked coolly while he extended his hand.

Shaking it softly, Suki replied eying Katara with a curious look, "Yeah, you guys were great. I just transferred to BSSU, so it was the first time I'd been to The Underground. That place is huge!"

"Yeah, it's a cool place to play a gig at. 'Scuse me ladies—gotta hit the head." As Jet went inside, Katara relaxed and stood there enjoying a moment of relief.

Turning to her incredulously, Suki asked with a slightly irritated look, "What's going on and why are you acting so weird?"

Whispering almost conspiratorially, Katara told Suki about Jet. "Look, he's my ex from last year. It's complicated, but to make a long story short, he's attracted to anything with boobs and a pulse. After I caught him with some other girl, I broke up with him and we haven't spoken since." Realizing Jet was returning, she quickly finished, "We'll talk about it later okay? And PLEASE don't mention this to Sokka!"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Suki replied with a quick "okay."

"So you ladies want to go order some lunch or what?" Jet asked, arching his eyebrows and smirking at the two young women.

"Good idea, Jet. Let's head inside, shall we?" Katara offered while shooting a glance at Suki that practically pleaded for her understanding of the difficult situation.

-----------------------------------

As Iroh strolled through the kitchen of DragonsTea, his ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice. _Ah, is that Katara's voice I hear? Maybe this is a good opportunity to catch up with my young nephew's classmate…_

Walking up to the counter, Iroh saw the young woman with her roommate alongside a tall young man. "Ah, Katara, Suki, how are you ladies today? I hope your classes are going well!"

Upon seeing the old man, Katara's face brightened, "Hi Iroh! Classes are going great. How have things been here?" _Hooray, someone else to talk to besides Jet—maybe Iroh can distract him while I run away_, Katara joked to herself.

"Oh, it's been busy since the start of the new school year. But it keeps me young and, Gods know, I need all the help I can get," the older man replied with a chuckle as he patted his rotund belly.

Noticing that the tall young man seemed to be accompanying the two girls, he asked "And who is this with you?" Offering his hand to him, the old man introduced himself, "I'm Iroh Sozin and welcome to DragonsTea."

Eyeing the man warily, Jet shook his hand, "I'm Jet, a friend of Katara's."

"He's the one with the band I told you about," Katara quickly replied, then turned to Suki in conversation and quietly thankful for the diversion of Jet's attention.

"Ah, the musician!" Iroh responded in recognition. "I heard you put on quite the show this weekend…My nephew had a hard time getting up on Sunday morning!"

At Iroh's compliment, Jet straightened up a little and nonchalantly acknowledged, "I see my reputation proceeds me. Glad to hear he had a good time…We had a really good time that night, too," he added gesturing his thumb and leering in Katara's direction. Thankfully, the girl was still talking to Suki at the time and thus ignoring the conversation being had at the counter.

Turning her attention away from her roommate, Katara chimed in, "Sorry to interrupt, guys, but we're gonna go grab some seats outside. See you outside, Jet." As she headed for the door, she was concerned. _This is getting a little weird, but who doesn't get along with Iroh, I suppose?_

Watching her as she exited, Jet turned to Iroh and said with a wink. "I hate to leave, but I'm not one to keep a pretty young thing like her waiting. Nice meeting you." Before he turned around to exit, he nodded at the old man.

As Jet walked outside, Iroh's eyebrows lifted hesitantly at the boy's comment. _Looks like Katara has caught more than just my nephew's attention…But I think Jet's intentions are a little less 'honorable' than Zuko's might be…_

---------------------------------------

After an hour of politely chatting and eating lunch, Suki began to get a little agitated at the stressful lunch date. _Talk about tension—you could cut through whatever's between those two with a knife! _Looking to change the subject as she picked at the remaining food on her plate, she interjected, "Katara how'd your weekend go? I barely saw you Sunday…"

"Oh, I had to work on that project for my comm class. I spent most of Sunday at the library. What did you do?" _Although, I don't feel entirely comfortable mentioning it was at the library—Jet and I have some 'history' there, I guess, _she thought to herself with a small blush and slightly annoyed at where her roommate was taking the conversation.

"Well, Sokka and I headed out to Lake Laogai. We played some volleyball—you should've seen the look on your brother's face when me and some girl beat him and some buff guy twice—I thought he was gonna lose it! The beach was pretty crowded, but it was really nice out. I just wish I had thought to bring my swimsuit; I could've gone for a dip." _Sokka was pretty peeved when we beat him, but he didn't think we could do it…And I do love a challenge, especially against him!_

Katara quietly thanked the Gods that Suki had interrupted the strained conversation. _But did she have to change the subject to her and my brother? Although, it would've been hilarious to watch Sokka lose to a couple of girls…_

_I wonder if Katara's any good at volleyball…_"You know what, we should think about going to the lake this weekend—I bet your brother would love that! What d'ya think, hm, maybe Saturday?" Suki exclaimed in excitement, completely forgetting the stranger at the table.

Shooting daggers at Suki, Katara replied saccharinely, "Great idea, Suki. How 'bout we discuss it later, hm?" _Shut up, Suki—do not mention it around Jet, he'll just want to hang out too! How do you think I got caught up with him in the first place?!?_

Fully realizing that the woman across from her was upset, _oh crap—Sokka warned me about getting her angry, _Suki answered quickly, "Yeah, okay, later." Looking at her watch, Suki frowned at her roommate, "Sorry, K, I gotta head out. I guess I'll see you later."

_Great my only hope of getting out of this miserable encounter alive is leaving! I guess I should try escaping, too. _Picking up her book bag and digging for her cell phone, she hoped to exit swiftly."No prob, Suki. I gotta head out, too. I guess I'll see you later, Jet…"

"You don't have to go right this second, do you Katara?" asked Jet, shifting in his seat and reaching for her arm. "I was hoping to chat with you alone for a sec," Jet responded with a slight tone of disappointment to his voice.

She paused as he gently squeezed her arm and let go._ Oh no, he has that look on his face—don't fall for it again, Katara! But he does look sincere…_She relented with a small sigh, "Just for a sec?" As he nodded in the affirmative, she sat back down and placed her cell phone on the small wooden table, "Okay, I guess I can stick around." Turning to her teammate, she gave a small wave, "See you at home later, Suki."

Confused, Suki took her leave, "See you." Walking away, she thought to herself, _okay, now I definitely have to ask Sokka about Jet…if Katara even told him. He does get a little overbearing when it comes to her and guys, though…I wonder if maybe I shouldn't say anything at all, then…_Suki continued the debate in her mind for a moment before deciding to just let it go.

Turning to Katara, Jet leaned forward a bit and spoke to her in honeyed tones, "So, how've you really been? You know I've missed you…" He reached for her hand, but Katara quickly pulled away, scooting her plastic chair back a couple of inches in the process.

_I knew it—he was absolutely not sincere! He's just gonna flirt with you and smile at you until he finds someone else to hook up with—you're too smart to fall for this again!!!_ She screamed at herself mentally, putting up her guard. "I've really been fine, Jet—life's good," she said with as much sincerity as possible. _I will not let him know how badly he got to me last semester. Just say goodbye and go back to your dorm!_

As she thought this, Katara saw Zuko making his way across the street towards the tea shop. Locking eyes with him, she beamed a warm smile at him and waved_, great—all this thinking about boys and relationships has jinxed you again! However, this could get interesting; maybe Zuko can inadvertently help me get out of this…_

"Hey Zuko, how are you?" she said amiably as she stood up to greet the young man approaching the tea shop, surprising him with her enthusiasm. _Why's she being so nice? Why does she look so happy to see me? Not that it's a bad thing she's happy to see me, but still…_

Awkwardly, he replied, "Good, same as this morning. How are you doing?" he continued casually, finally noticing the man sitting across from Katara. _Isn't that the lead singer from that band I saw this weekend? It was kind of dark in there…Maybe he's the reason she's being so nice to me?_

"Oh, just finishing lunch." Turning to Jet and placing her hand on Zuko's shoulder in a familiar manner, she introduced them. "Jet, this is Zuko, my—uh—friend," Katara said slowly, not sure how best to introduce her classmate—_saying he's my partner sounds a little odd…I guess he could be considered a friend—I've probably spent as much time with him this past week as my actual friends…That's weird, I hadn't thought about it that way…_

Zuko, amazed by Katara's introduction of him as her friend—_not to mention the fact that she's touching my shoulder_—turned to Jet and tried to reply as enthusiastically as possible, "Nice to meet you. I saw you and your band on Saturday—you guys were great."

_I'm going to have to ask her about this guy…Maybe later tonight if she's online?_ Noticing something sticking out of the corner of Jet's mouth, he thought curiously, _is he seriously chewing on a toothpick? Talk about unsanitary…not to mention he's trying WAY too hard to look rebellious…_

"We do what we can—glad to hear you liked it," Jet responded as coolly as possible. _Why does this guy show up every time I try talking to her…it's beginning to get a little annoying. _"So you go to BSSU, too?" the lanky young man asked out of politeness.

"Yeah, I'm a junior, only three semesters left after this one," Zuko replied, cautious about how much he should be revealing about himself. "How 'bout you?"

"I'm in my third year, I think I have two more years left after this—it would probably be sooner if I hadn't changed my major," Jet replied nonchalantly. _Doesn't this guy have someplace to go? How am I supposed to talk to her if I can't get a minute alone?_

Sensing Jet's annoyance at his presence, Zuko shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, I hope you enjoyed your lunch—my uncle owns this place. Which reminds me," he said while pulling his cell phone from his pocket and checking the time on the device, "I've got to go inside and start my shift. Nice to meet you. Uh, see you later," he ended with an unsure smile. _And I thought our first 'real' conversation was uncomfortable, Katara…_

"Bye Zuko," she said amiably, thanking every god she could think of for Zuko's convenient interruption. _Absolutely perfect timing, Zuko! Maybe now I can high-tail it out of here!_ Turning to the young man seated at the table, she spoke, "Sorry about that interruption, Jet."

"So, he's your 'friend' is he? How'd you two meet?" Jet asked indifferently, though he could tell that Katara left something unspoken about her relationship with Zuko. _Who is that guy? She was talking to him at the club Saturday night…what was that all about? _Chewing the toothpick in speculation, w_inning her back won't be easy, especially if there's something going on with 'what's-his-name.' I've got to prove to her that I've changed since last year…_

"Oh, we have a class together—interpersonal comm," she replied calmly. Glancing down at her cell phone sitting on the table between them, she declared, "You know, it's getting pretty late in the afternoon, I should get going. It was nice catching up with you," she said before sliding away, wearing a triumphant smile. _That felt kind of good_, she remarked with pleasant surprise, _I should have done that sooner—don't let him hold you hostage with that handsome smile_._ Besides, I think I actually got under his skin…Actually, that felt REALLY good…_

Unable to show his unhappiness at her departure, Jet waved at her as she left, "See you next time, Kuruk…" _And there will be a next time…I just have to make sure we don't get interrupted_. He sat a few minutes more, watching her leave, his mind already forming a plan in order to see her again soon… something that he hoped would involve her at the beach in a bikini.

----------------------------------

Zuko sat in the manager's office quietly contemplating the odd encounter that had just happened. _That was kind of…weird_, he thought to himself. _But it was kind of nice, too. At least she was smiling—I like that…especially in comparison to the alternative. _Shaking his head, he renewed his concentration on the paperwork in front of him. Penciling in some numbers, his eyes rose as his uncle's stout body appeared in the doorway.

"Hello Nephew. Nice afternoon, isn't it?" the grizzled man asked.

"Yes it is, Uncle. Aren't you going home soon?" Zuko asked, his eyes returning to the task at hand.

Iroh nodded, smiling with pride at his young relative's work ethic. "Yes, soon. Oh, about this weekend; I think I'll be taking Saturday off—Ghashiun asked for the extra hours since he was out sick last weekend. And who am I not to oblige?" Iroh ended, seeing if his nephew would object. As Zuko sat there silently, still hunched over the inventory sheet, he continued. "I was thinking we should go to Lake Laogai this weekend, Nephew. It'll be fall soon enough and this might be our last opportunity to enjoy the beach—I hear it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend. What do you think?"

Concentrating on the paperwork, the scarred young man waved his hand dismissingly at his uncle. "Whatever you want, Uncle. We'll head to the beach this weekend, if you like. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to finish this up." _Can't you see I'm a little busy, Uncle Iroh? _

"Great, now don't forget Zuko! Have a good evening—I'll see you when you get home."

"Okay, Uncle. Bye," Zuko replied distractedly. "See you then."

As Iroh walked away, he whistled a tune to himself, _I guess I'll have to go shopping for a new beach hat… not to mention new sandals and a new beach chair…Maybe I should head to the mall and get some necessities? _With an excited grin, he hurried home and quickly drove off to the nearest shopping center.

---------------------------------

It was Tuesday night and Katara was bored…not just 'kind of bored,' but 'out of her mind, don't want to do homework and need a distraction NOW' bored. Suki was out on a dinner date with Sokka—_I still don't understand what she sees in him… she seems like such a normal girl—_and she was sitting idly in her room. Turning her eyes to her laptop, she groaned, _I guess I'll do some Web crawling for a little while and update my profile on MySpace…_

Powering up her computer, Katara quickly signed in to her IM account and, while no one was online, she went through her e-mail—_another boring announcement from campus about testing the fire alarms_—and checked some friends' blogs. Luckily, her computer 'dinged' and she checked to see who was online…_bluspirit, eh? Haven't talked to him in a little while…_

**bluspirit: hey**

**h2opologurl: hi how's ur week been?**

**bluspirit: busy w/school + work, u?**

**h2opologurl: busy w/school**

Soon enough, they made it through some basic pleasantries and Katara had an idea. _It's been awhile since I played this, but it'll be interesting to see what he has to say. Besides, it's not like I have anything better to do…_

Typing quickly, she proposed:

**h2opologurl: i'm bored, wanna play 20 questions?**

**  
**Staring at the screen with mild apprehension, Zuko thought about it. _What is she going to ask, I wonder…Just got to make sure you don't give away who you are…She must be pretty bored…_Shrugging his shoulders, he mused _what's the worse that could happen? _He typed back:

**bluspirit: sure **

**h2opologurl: fav color?**

_See, Zuko, nothing to worry about. She just wants to get to know you…actually, she doesn't want to get to know you specifically, just bluspirit_, Zuko thought, momentarily annoyed at his alter ego.

**bluspirit: red**

**h2opologurl: fav band?**

**bluspirit: rough rhinos**

**h2opologurl: fav food?**

**bluspirit: anything spicy**

**h2opologurl: fav time of year?**

**bluspirit: summer**

_See, nothing but easy questions…_

**h2opologurl: boxers or briefs?**

_That was… unexpected…well, if she really wants to know…_

**bluspirit: boxers**

Smiling to herself, Katara thought, _boxers are nice…_She then took a deep breath and steeled herself to ask another _intimate_ question, hoping to learn more about the type of guy bluspirit was. _Not to mention if he's seeing anyone_, she thought with a sly grin before continuing her interview.

**h2opologurl: girlfriend?**

**bluspirit: no**

**h2opologurl: then what do u look 4 in a gf?**

Zuko's eyes widened as he looked incredulously at the screen, _is she flirting with me? If anything, she's flirting with bluspirit_, he corrected himself with a small huff.

Biting his lip thoughtfully, he answered cautiously before turning the tables on his classmate:

**bluspirit: i dunno. what do u look 4 in a guy?**

**h2opologurl: some1 who knows how 2 have a good time, but doesn't mind staying in on a friday nite 2 watch a movie**

**h2opologurl: and hes gotta b honest + sincere**

Slightly annoyed that he had dodged the question, Katara renewed her assault:

**h2opologurl: u still havent answered the question**

Taking a deep breath, he thought about it for a moment. _What do I look for in a girlfriend? Then again, I don't have a ton of experience in that department. Not to mention that Jin asked me out, not the other way around…But there's gotta be something worth mentioning…_Thinking on it for a couple of seconds, he chuckled to himself as he figured out what to say:

**bluspirit: to the point arent u?**

**bluspirit: some1 that takes life seriously, but doesnt take themselves too seriously**

**bluspirit: and it doesnt hurt if shes cute ;)**

**bluspirit: know any1 that fits the bill?**

Katara had a devilish grin on her face as she responded:

**h2opologurl: maybe, but im the 1 asking questions here!**

They continued to talk about relationships and eventually the discussion centered on exes. Her recent experience with Jet still fresh in her mind, Katara related the reason for her present support of singlehood:

**h2opologurl: n college, guys r totally noncommittal—theyre not looking 4 ms right, theyre looking for ms right now**

**h2opologurl: and if a guy has the opportunity, he'll hook up w/any1**

_I wonder if how she feels has anything to do with that Jet guy…Besides, what she said isn't exactly true, but I've got to admit, I'm not necessarily looking for 'the one,' either_, Zuko thought to himself. In defense of his gender, he typed:

**bluspirit: i dunno what your exes did 2 u, but not every guys like that. im not like that. were not all jerks**

Appreciating his comments, Katara simply typed "okay" back to him. Glancing at her alarm clock, she realized an hour had flown past and that it was getting late, _especially considering you've procrastinated way too much regarding your homework. Time to sign off and concentrate on school!_

Saying goodbye to her online friend, she quietly closed the laptop shut. _Maybe bluspirit's right, maybe I should give guys a second chance_, she thought to herself before getting started on her homework. _This is going to be some semester…_

When she abruptly signed off, Zuko figured he must have hit a nerve with his classmate. _That sucks—looks like some guy really pulled a number on her…She did mention that she had a hard time with school last semester…I wonder if that had anything to do with it?_

--------------------------------

_I forgot how early 6 a.m. was_, Katara thought tiredly as she headed towards the pool. _Not to mention the fact that you avoided your homework for an hour last night in order to flirt online with some faceless guy!_

By the time Katara had crawled out of bed that morning, Suki was already awake and ready for her first practice with the team. As the blue-eyed girl wiped the sleep out of her eyes, she spoke out, "Suki, seriously, what are you doing? Are you doing _STRETCHES_ before practice?"

Smiling at the drowsy girl, Suki sat and stretched over her legs, touching her toes, "Yeah, sleepyhead. It's my first practice and I want to be ready!"

"Oh, Suki, the first day is totally low-key. Don't worry about it—I'm sure you'll do fine!" she said lying in bed and stretching her arms and toes out in either direction, grudgingly starting to wake up.

"Well, hurry up—we don't want to be late, do we?" the grey-eyed girl asked earnestly. When Katara heard that, she realized how fun it really would be to see all of their teammates. Soon enough, she grabbed her gym bag and the women were trekking across campus.

Upon arriving at the pool, she went to the locker room and quickly changed into her practice suit. Heading out to the pool area, she tried desperately to tuck every last lock of her unruly hair under the swim cap. _Come on hair—work with me here! _

Eventually satisfied with her work, she paused at the poolside and took a seat alongside her teammates in the bleachers. The sky was beginning to change colors from what could be observed through the high windows in the building, while a small water aerobics class for seniors got started in the smaller therapy pool nearby. Staring around at her teammates' faces, Katara remarked _at least I'm not the only one that looks like she could still be sleeping_.

Coach Pakku, dressed in a navy blue windbreaker while his long white hair stuck out from the back of his BSSU baseball cap, was already going through his customary pacing before they began warm-ups. Peering at the girls from behind his sunglasses, he quietly signaled for their attention.

"Good morning ladies. I'm glad to see you all again—as well as a couple of new faces. I want to extend an especially warm welcome to your new teammate, a transfer from Kyoshi Island College, Suki Kyoshi."

Upon hearing her name, Suki quickly glanced around at everyone, waved and said "hello."

"Now that we've gone through the pleasantries, let's get started on warm-ups. Most of you know how it goes—I want you to swim laps for 30 minutes, then we'll get started on passing drills on the other side of the pool."

Soon enough, the girls jumped into separate lanes in the pool and started swimming freestyle to the other side. Try as she might, Katara lost focus on her swimming and felt her mind slowly wandering to other thoughts.

_I can't believe it's already time to start training for the new season_, she thought to herself in wonder._ This time last year, I was living in the freshmen dorm with Smellerbee…which is how I met Jet and the rest is history. This year'll be different…I just know it…You're another year older and a heck of a lot smarter than you used to be, Katara! You won't fall for another guy's tricks this time around…_

As if noticing her lack of concentration, Coach Pakku growled out, "Kuruk, get over here!"

Shaking herself out of her trance, Katara swam to the edge of the pool. "Yes, Coach Pakku, what is it?" she asked with concern.

"You're behind your teammates on laps—you're usually the one ahead of everyone else. Did you not keep up with your routine over the summer?" he snapped, getting her full attention.

"No, Coach, sorry," she admitted, eyes downcast. "I kept up with it as much as I could. I guess I'm just a little distracted with the start of the new school year…"

"Well, get your head on straight—we don't want a repeat performance of last semester do we?" he continued with a stern look in his eye. Softening his voice and speaking low enough so that Katara was the only one that heard, "_I_ certainly don't want to see a repeat performance of last year…"

"Yes, Coach, I understand. I'll focus more."

Coach Pakku nodded in understanding and waved her back to her warm-up.

Returning to her laps, she gave herself a mental shake and vowed to buck up. She thought to herself, y_ou may have been stressed out from mid-terms and practice last semester, but you know you were upset about what was going on with Jet, too. Don't let a guy do that to you again, Katara!_

With renewed vigor, she darted across the pool for the remaining 20 minutes of laps. _Just ignore boys…Does Zuko count, though, I mean he is my partner? He's a boy—and an attractive one at that—but he's your project partner, too…And what about bluspirit? I mean, he doesn't really count, you haven't even met him in person and have no idea what he looks like…Ugh—just ignore them all as much as possible! _she thought to herself, willing her mind to end its distracting train of thought.

As she swam between the bulkheads, she quietly pushed any thoughts involving the opposite sex further from her mind with each reach of her arm and scissor kick of her legs. Reaching a sublime sense of peace as she glided along in the tepid water, Katara mentally went through her Tai Chi forms to help regain her focus. No longer thinking about anything, she let the sounds of her paddling through the water reverberate in her mind. _Time to focus, Katara…_

-----------------------------------

Author's note: Thanks everyone for being patient about this chapter—you would not believe how crazy-busy I was at work this past week! Anyways, this chapter is a little slower, but you do find out what went down between Jet and Katara—not to mention how they met…Also, it was decided that the IM conversations need to stand out a little more from regular dialogue and the inner monologues, so I hope it wasn't too distracting to see it in bold text.

Hope you enjoyed this newest chapter and I'll try my best to update again sometime soon! And, as always, a HUGE "thank you" to Moor for her super-awesome beta skills!


	9. Chapter 9

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. This story is strictly for your amusement—so I hope you're amused!

**Chapter 9**

He was on a rooftop somewhere in the middle of the night, but Zuko wasn't sure where. All he could see was the slightest sliver of moon above him, yet there wasn't enough light to illuminate his surroundings. The hilts of the two broadswords felt heavy in his hands, but he soon realized he could swing them easily. Parrying the weapons about, he found them surprisingly weightless.

The mask he wore trapped his exhausted pants of warm breath, causing his mouth to become increasingly hot. Suddenly, he realized that someone was with him, fighting back to back with him. For some reason, he knew it was Katara—the thick braid of her hair was pressing into his lower back as she shouted something to him. Zuko worried to himself as he fended off some attackers, _why can't I hear what she's saying?_

He quickly peeked over his shoulder to see how his partner was doing. Her sapphire eyes softened their steely gaze as she locked eyes with his golden orbs hidden deep within the thick mask and she momentarily diverted her attention from their adversaries. Somehow, he intrinsically knew that she trusted him with her safety—_don't worry; I'll get us out of this alive_… As she opened her mouth, he heard a voice that was not hers—it was muffled and sounded too deep for the petite girl…

"Zuko…Zuko, are you okay in there?"

Waking with a start, Zuko found one of his pillows covering his face. _I guess that's why my face felt so warm_, he thought as Iroh knocked on his bedroom door. With a groan, he realized that he'd had another Blue Spirit dream—only this time, Katara was in it helping him fight off some faceless assailants. Recalling the last moments of his dream, he thoughtfully memorized the tight, form-fitting blue dress she had been wearing and the trusting look on her face.

"I'm fine, Uncle—thanks!" he said with a tinge of annoyance while he kicked off the tangled sheets at his feet. He ran one hand through his hair as the other grabbed for the water glass on his nightstand. Taking a large gulp, he realized that he was coated in a thin layer of sweat. _That was some dream…although I haven't dreamt I was the Blue Spirit for a while now…_

Clearing his throat as he stood on the other side of the closed door to Zuko's room, Iroh continued, "Okay—I was just a little worried. Your breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen." _It sounds like he was having quite the "involved" dream_, the old man thought with a roguish grin.

Throwing himself back onto his bed, Zuko reviewed the last moments of his dream. _This is bordering on obsession…Why have you been dreaming about her for the past week? _Shaking the images from his mind, he quickly got up and decided that meditation was exactly what he needed, _especially after something like that…_

----------------------------------------

Walking to class, Zuko still couldn't entirely remove the memories of the dream from his mind. _You could practically feel her against you—it just seemed so real…_Shaking his head as he entered class, he saw his "dream girl" already occupying her seat. With a slightly shaky voice, he mumbled "good morning" as he sat at his desk. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his notebook from his backpack and dug in a pocket looking for a pen.

"Good morning," Katara said brightly, not noticing his demeanor as she focused on her notes from the last class. _Just look at these—they look like chicken-pig scrawl! I can't believe this is what I came up with after a near-hour of listening to Professor Wu's lecture…I need to get focused and quit getting distracted by the "scenery."_

After sighing in quiet frustration, Katara put away her old notes as Professor Wu entered the classroom. Silently placing her briefcase on top of the large oak desk, the gray-haired woman turned to the class and instructed them to continue with their activity from last session, though they were to reverse their roles. As she finished, she turned around to continue some paperwork.

Turning her full attention to him, Katara readied her pencil and paper. After waiting a moment or so, she frowned slightly when she realized her partner wasn't going to readily share a story with her. Whispering to him in concern, she continued, "Well, don't you have a story, Zuko? I mean you knew you were going to have tell me something…"

Taking a slow deep breath, Zuko began hesitantly, somewhat refusing to make eye contact with his partner—partly because the mental image of her in his dream was still all too fresh in his mind and partly because he never really spoke about his childhood with anyone outside of his family. _This isn't the happiest of memories, but it's kind of all I've got…_

"Okay…um, I guess I'll share something about my younger sister, Azula. Well, when we were kids, there was a large pond near our house. Our mom would take us there from time to time and, once Azula and I were old enough, we went there on our own without our parents. We used to spend a lot of time feeding the turtle-ducks there, bringing day-old bread for them to eat."

As Zuko recalled the image of the tiny turtle-ducklings, Katara caught the small smile that escaped his lips before he forged ahead with his memory. Pausing to remember the small details, he eyed his partner for a brief moment before continuing.

"And, uh, one day, Azula showed me how she fed the turtle-ducks when no one else was around. She just threw a huge dinner roll at one of the turtle-ducks and started laughing hysterically…"

Noticing Katara's stern look of disapproval, he provided a small excuse, "I know, I know—not exactly a nice thing to do. But, I was ten at the time—I thought it was entertaining. Anyways, the next time I went to the pond with my mom, I showed her how Azula fed the turtle-ducks. So, I threw a roll at one of the babies. As soon as I did that, the mother turtle-duck came out and bit my hand—"

"Serves you right, throwing food at those helpless turtle-ducklings!" the brunette replied with no attempt to hide her disappointment.

Frustrated at her interruption, he continued, "Anyways—my mom agreed with you, of course—I learned my lesson that day. 'Never come between a mother and her baby.' So, that's my story."

Staring at him for a moment, she replied earnestly, "To be honest Zuko, that wasn't really funny. Actually, it was kind of sad. And, well, your sister sounds like she was a brat."

"What would you know? Not everyone has this great relationship with their sibling," he replied, his voice raised in agitation, diverting his eyes from her and suddenly finding his desk increasingly fascinating. "Besides, Azula's not _that _bad…"

"Really, Zuko? So you tell me, what kind of little girl gets her kicks out of throwing food at defenseless baby animals?" the dark-skinned girl replied in jest, realizing that she'd hit a sore spot with her partner. _We were getting along so well until you started talking about family…time to back pedal and get back on track—no point in messing with the rapport you've built with him over the past week. _"Besides, she must've been a pain in the ass to go to the zoo with…" She joked, hoping for at least a brief respite from his current disquiet.

Realizing his overreaction and chuckling to himself, he verbally stepped back, "I guess that wasn't that great a story, huh? And, yeah, she can be a pain in the ass sometimes. So, I guess you're right…" he replied, feeling foolish.

"Did your mom ever talk to your sister about it?" Katara asked before stopping herself. _Why would you ask him about his family again—obviously he's uncomfortable with the subject._

"Um, I don't know. I never had a chance to talk to her about it…" the young man trailed off before changing the subject. "So, uh, how's practice going? I was reading in the school paper that you guys just started not too long ago."

Surprised by his interest in her water polo team and smiling in happy acknowledgment of his curiosity, she responded, "Yeah, it's been tough getting back into the routine—we start practice at 6 a.m. But I love being back in the water and I'm really excited to see all my teammates again. I think we're going to have a really great season."

Before the brunette could continue, Professor Wu stood up in front of the class and cleared her throat, signaling for the attention of the class. "I believe you've had enough time to finish the exercise. Before I start the lecture, let's quickly discuss the behaviors you observed in your partner during this activity."

Pointing at Zuko and addressing him directly, the matronly woman called him out. "Mr. Sozin, what types of behavior did your partner display during your conversation?"

Looking at his notes from two days earlier, the young man replied, "She uses a lot of direct eye contact, tells stories with her hands and tends to make faces as she speaks." Satisfied with his response, the aged teacher turned to another student.

Listening to him speak, Katara was only slightly embarrassed at the last comment. _What does he mean 'I make faces when I speak'? _Soon enough, the embarrassment turned into chagrin as she considered his comments more. By the time Professor Wu had finished going around the classroom and started her lecture, the girl next to Zuko was festering with growing agitation at her partner. _**I '**make faces' he says…just because I try to not look all angsty whenever I talk to a person! I knew he was a jerk!_

Looking over at his neighbor, Zuko wondered what was wrong with her. _Geez, she looks like she's really focused on something—and for some reason, I don't think it has anything to do with the lecture. _Shrugging his shoulders as he turned back to his notes, he decided to simply ignore the girl next to him.

By the time the professor concluded, Katara had calmed down, but she was still teetering near the brink of full-blown anger. _If he says anything even **remotely** jerk-y, I swear I'll lose it…Just grab your stuff and get out of here, Katara!_

"So, uh, Katara, interesting lecture, huh?" the young man to her left asked cautiously as he put away his notebook, not noticing that she was presently clenching her jaw muscles, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Yeah, great. I've gotta go," Katara merely nodded at him with slit eyes as she stalked out of the room. _Wouldn't want to start a scene in front of your class, now would you, Katara? _

Wondering what he said wrong, Zuko watched her leave and carefully thought to himself, _what is it with girls?_

------------------------------------ 

_It's been a long day_, Katara realized as she sat at her desk, doing some reading for class. _Practice at the crack of dawn, and your first test—not to mention what Zuko said this morning…Why are you still upset about that? It was kind of tactless…not to mention embarrassing. Ugh, just get your mind off of it!_

Turning her head back to her textbook, she stared at the computer resting on the nightstand near her bed. _I need a break… and this biology reading is SO boring…_

Powering up her laptop, Katara signed into her IM account. _Never hurts to see who's online, hm?_

Seeing that _bluspirit_ was online, she quickly messaged him:

**h2opologurl: hey long time no speak**

-----------------------------------

Zuko was lounging on his bed reading an old Blue Spirit comic book. He'd just finished chatting with an old friend about the newest graphic novel out with their favorite masked hero, and the discussion had sparked his interest to revisit a favorite issue. As he completed his perusal of the old booklet, he heard a familiar 'ding' from his laptop. _I thought I signed out of IM before I started reading_, he thought to himself. With a small shrug, he decided to see who it was. Glancing at the sender, his lips pursed as he decided to respond or ignore the note. _This might be my chance to find out why she was acting so odd in class today…_Typing back his response:

**bluspirit: yeah how are you?**

**h2opologurl: ok had ruff day**

**bluspirit: me too.**

Considering her options, Katara realized she needed to vent. She hadn't seen Suki since practice that morning and she couldn't get a hold of Toph, _probably lost her phone privileges again when her parents found her sneaking out_…Taking a deep breath, she responded:

**h2opologurl: practice at 6, 1st test + had to deal w/ some jerk in class**

Figuring he just may be the 'jerk' in question, the young man asked for her to continue. Scrunching up his forehead, Zuko tried recalling that morning's events. _What could I have possibly done to be called a jerk? I don't recall doing anything particularly horrible—then again, I was kind of focused on my stupid story and not imagining her in that incredibly tight, curve-hugging dress…Damn it—there my mind goes again! Not that it's a particularly horrible image_, he thought with a lascivious smile. Snapping himself out of it, he glanced at the screen awaiting her response.

_How do I tell him what Zuko did without sounding like some whiny bitch? I don't want to come off as one of those girls that can't handle a negative comment from time to time…but I can't just brush it off like it was nothing…_Deciding she didn't want to elaborate too much, the dark-haired girl made it as simple as possible.

**h2opologurl: he said something embarrassing about me in front of our comm class**

Approaching the topic cautiously—while trying to remember what he possibly could have said in class— he replayed the scene from that morning in his head. _Said she made eye contact – that's fine, said she talked with her hands—plenty of people do!, said she… Oh, crap…_At the realization, his palm automatically flew up to his forehead in a great smack as he recognized his own idiocy. _Didn't you say she makes funny faces when she talks? I think it was just that she made faces…not necessarily funny ones…_He knew he had to play it safe:

**bluspirit: he probably didn't mean it the way you took it.**

**bluspirit: it really doesn't sound like big deal.**

Katara pondered _bluspirit_'s comment for a moment. _Looking back at it, I guess it isn't too big of a deal. Why do I even care that he said it—besides it was 8 in the bloody morning, I bet no one even remembers it! But something still doesn't sit right about what he said…_

**h2opologurl: i suppose it shouldn't have been**

Praying that she would take the advice of 'bluspirit,' Zuko continued:

**bluspirit: you should give him another chance. **

**bluspirit: or at least tell him it bothered you. if he's a good guy he'll know to be more considerate next time.**

**h2opologurl: i should but**

**bluspirit: but what?**

Considering her company, she figured she could say why it had bothered her so much. _Why did it bother me so much, actually? _She thought quizzically, eyebrows furrowed._ Why should you care what he thinks of you? It's not like you like him or something…_Katara's eyes widened as she carefully considered the thought. With a sudden burst of realization, her hand flew up to her mouth and her eyes widened as she finally admitted why it bothered her so much—_**it is **because you like him! You think he's nice, not to mention smart, and, well, physically, he's well, um, for lack of a better word, HOT. But it's not like you have the time for a guy this semester, _she told herself, considering her options. _Not to mention the fact that the last time you dated anyone, he…_

Hearing her laptop 'ding' again, Katara snapped out of the upsetting and altogether unpleasant memory and looked down:

**bluspirit: hello?**

**h2opologurl: sorry…**

**bluspirit: about what?**

**h2opologurl: nothing…gotta go bye!**

With that, the girl signed out as quickly as possible. _No sense in sharing that feeling with another person, let alone 'bluspirit'_. _Besides, you've still got some reading to do! For the last time, you need to concentrate on school. Remember what Coach Pakku said…_

Confounded by what had just transpired, Zuko simply turned off his computer when his classmate said 'bye.' _That was weird…I wonder what scared her off? I thought we were getting along okay and then, bam, she signs off…Well, whatever the reason, here's hoping she doesn't hold a grudge…_

-------------------------------------

As the highest-ranked 'sempai' present, his self-discipline refused to allow him loosen his immaculate _gi_. It was warm that Thursday afternoon and, even with the fans on, all he could feel was the hot air re-circulating its way through the room in the old hardwood-floored dojo. Behind him, Zuko could see the dozen or so students via their reflection in the mirror. He quickly turned and greeted the students, all BSSU students or local high schoolers, and began the class with warm-ups and endurance training—all the students quickly groaned in 'enthusiasm'. Upon hearing their displeasure, Zuko cheerfully offered to double it. Thankfully, the students smartened up and quit their complaining while they were ahead. _That's more like it_, Zuko noted. _I hope they didn't get too soft with the summer break…_

After going through some basic moves, he then led the intermediate Shotokan karate class through a series of katas. Closely observing their movements as he led them, he mentally corrected them and physically corrected himself, realizing that slight measures of his motions were off. Chastising himself, he wondered internally, _why can't you focus today, Zuko? _

After going through a half-dozen series, the class concluded and the students bowed and left. Lee, one of the high school boys that had joined the club the previous year, approached Zuko, eager to catch up with him and ask a burning question.

"Hey Zuko-sensei! How was your summer?" the adolescent asked animatedly. Zuko had realized early on in Lee's training that the young man looked up to him as a kind of mentor. _For whatever reason, this kid likes you…Probably just wants to catch up…_

"Good—nothing too exciting. How 'bout you Lee?" Zuko queried patiently as he sat down and slipped on his flip-flops, roughly toweling off the hair matted to his forehead with sweat.

"I had a blast—we went and visited my cousins in Omashu and then headed out to Kyoshi Island. They have the COOLEST beaches—real ones, too, on the ocean! Not like Lake Laogai…" the boy trailed off, considering where he should insert his real question.

"Sounds great, Lee. So, looks like you'll be joining us regularly on Thursdays then, huh?"

"Uh, yeah…Um, Zuko-sensei…I, uh, noticed you were kind of out of it today," said Lee in a rush, unsure of how his teacher would react. Zuko looked at the young man beside him curiously. "I mean, you weren't as, um, focused as usual. And you didn't correct us or anything—sometimes, you know, you scold us if we're not paying attention or following a kata correctly. Is something wrong? Is your old uncle okay? I hope he isn't sick or something. I was just a little, uh, worried…" Lee trailed off, not sure if he could continue, as his sensei's face betrayed no emotion at his rambling words.

Furrowing his brow, Zuko replied, "No, everything's fine—I've just been busy with school. And I was trying to take it a little easy on you guys since it's our first class back, but I guess I shouldn't have." With a small grin on his face, he continued, "Don't worry about me getting soft on you guys—I'll be sure to be twice as watchful next week!" His eyes held a glint of promised malice, and he almost laughed when Lee swallowed audibly.

"Uh, okay, Zuko-sensei! Sorry 'bout that—uh, no need to intensify things," Lee replied with a smile and hoping his sensei didn't get too brutal on them next week. "Alright then. Guess I'll see you next week, sensei." Turning to the scarred young man, Lee took a small bow and departed.

_Obviously, I betray myself more than I think…_He heard the door close after Lee, and the dojo was silent, apart from the hum of the fans circulating the air. He stared at his feet a moment, reviewing his actions and movements from that afternoon. He _had_ been sloppy, he admitted internally—sloppy enough that his own students had noticed. _It's just been hard focusing—my mind's just been wandering lately… _

Since the room was now empty, Zuko let out a low growl as he kicked off his shoes and went through one last demanding kata, hoping to clear his mind. As he focused on his reflection, a thought rose from the depths of his subconscious, _it's because of her…you can't stop thinking about her…in your dreams and waking thoughts…it's her…_Before he could register what the small voice in his head had said, it slipped back under the submerged waters of his mind and he refused to pursue it.

Shouting through his kata, he focused his energy and mind to the task at hand.

------------------------------------ 

She struggled with it mightily that Saturday morning, pulling the brush through her hair with enough force to get through the tangles, but not so much that she actually pulled out her hair. _Ugh, I hate dealing with this rat's nest every morning! Sometimes I just wish I could shave it all off. _Upon picturing herself with a bald pate like Aang, she giggled uncontrollably. _Okay, it's not that bad_, she corrected as she pulled the mass of hair back into a ponytail, leaving her trademark long bangs framing her face.

"Well, I guess all there's left to do is wait for my brother," the brunette said to no one in particular.

"Actually, he just pulled up," Suki called out, poking her head momentarily through the doorway.

By the time they got into the car, the elder Kuruk had already made mental notes about why his sister could not go out to the beach dressed the way she was.

"Katara, you can't wear that to the beach. You should just go upstairs and change into something more…appropriate," he said, his voice taking that overprotective, always-knows-best, older brother tone.

"And into what, Sokka? We're going to the beach—I'll be wearing a _swimsuit_ most of the time. Would you rather I not wear anything over my suit, instead?" she emphasized sarcastically.

"Uh no, but why do you have to wear those shorts? I mean they're really short, not to mention the BSSU logo on the back side just screams for guys to pay attention to your, uh, backside!"

"Give it a rest, Sokka. We're both wearing the same shorts—so if she changes, I change. And if we both have to change, who _knows_ how long it'll take before we can leave," Suki said in defense of her roommate. "I would hate to get to the beach only to find all the good spots taken," her voice softening slightly. Upon hearing Suki's reasoning, Katara had to keep herself from laughing out loud as she saw her brother's protests dwindle beneath the sultry voice.

Realizing his defeat, he acquiesced. "Fine—but I don't have to like it. Let's get a move on!" Putting his foot to the gas pedal, they zoomed out of the parking lot and made their way towards Toph's house to pick the two teenagers up. In the backseat, Katara gave Suki a knowing wink. _I see she's already learned how to deal with him…This could **definitely **come in handy!_

---------------------------------

Meditating in his room, Zuko focused on the sound of his breath inhaling and exhaling. Unfortunately, his attempts at focusing and emptying his mind of thought were being sporadically interrupted by mental images from his dreams the past few nights. There'd be fleeting moments where he recalled being the Blue Spirit, odd snippets of a particularly embarrassing classroom incident and pictures of the more erotic dream he'd had the evening before. As he recalled the latest fantasy of his interaction with his blue-eyed classmate, the corner of his mouth curled up into a self-satisfied smirk. _I wonder if that great tan of hers extends to…_

Of course, the somewhat lewd moment was interrupted at a most inopportune time by the presence of his uncle in the doorway. Even with his eyes closed, the young man could still sense him.

"Uncle, I know you're there."

Opening his eyes, he looked at the old man and quickly realized he may have been better off keeping them closed, considering what the man in the doorway was wearing.

"Uncle, why are you dressed like that?" he queried cautiously, curiously eyeing the large straw hat, sunglasses, gaudy tropical-print shirt, swim trunks and sandals—not to mention the patch of zinc oxide protecting his nose—that his uncle was currently sporting.

"Don't you remember, Zuko?" the gray-haired man gently reminded. Recognizing that his nephew had no idea what he was talking about, he continued, "I'm taking today off and we're heading out to Lake Laogai. You promised me you'd go to the beach with me…Besides, it's an absolutely beautiful day outside and it would not do to spend it indoors."

Cringing as he remembered their conversation earlier that week, the young man quickly replied in an upbeat tone, "Alright, Uncle. Well, when do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready to go! I've already packed the car," the old man excitedly responded. _This should be a great day to run into some friends, too, perhaps._

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Arriving at the beach, the five-some dragged their gear from the car and staked out a spot on the warm, soft sand. Unpacking their towels and beach mats, Katara surveyed the area. As she looked to her left, her mouth went agape in surprise. _Is that who I think it is? I forgot he was there when Suki mentioned going to the beach. I'm sure he planned to be here—although he is going to a lot of trouble just to see me…_

Katara paused as she realized what she'd just been considering. She mentally shook herself in frustration._ Just listen to yourself, Katara! This is Jet we're talking about here—you know, the guy who CHEATED on you last year! _Her conscience warred with her memories, thoroughly disgusted she could find anything pleasant about the past that was now walking towards her

Locking eyes with the lanky young man, Katara couldn't help but smile in pure female appreciation. _I forgot how good he looked without his shirt on…Now if only he could keep his mouth shut, he'd be picture perfect and I could walk away without beating the living daylights out of him…_

He walked towards her purposefully, sly grin on his face. As one hand carried his skateboard, the other adjusted the backpack he was carrying. _Just breathe buddy. It's not like this is the first time you've seen her in a bikini—although she's "filled out" in a few places since last year…_

"Hey Katara—fancy seeing you here," he greeted smoothly as he walked up to the brunette.

"Hey Jet—long time no see," she replied with a small smile. "Nice day to head to the beach, huh? Are Smellerbee and Longshot with you?" she queried while looking behind him. _What I wouldn't give to have Smellerbee interrupt with one of her boring-ass stories on the awesome new bassline she wrote…I'd even settle for a weird look from Longshot—anything could work as a distraction at this point!_

"They're over at our spot near the pier…You wanna come check it out?" Taking a deep breath, he continued in an uncharacteristically hushed voice, not wanting to sound too desperate, "I'd really like to talk to you…about us…" His pulse quickened as he waited for her reply. Subconsciously, his fingernails began to dig into the palms of his hands as he clenched them into tight fists, waiting on her reply. _I just want to talk…to apologize…to tell you I realized how good I had it when I was with you…_

Considering the thought, Katara momentarily lost herself in the scenery surrounding her. _Don't let him ruin this beautiful day at the beach…_Looking around, she felt the warm breeze rush past her skin as the sun beat down on them. Taking a deep breath, she realized something important—_I really don't want to spend my day at the beach talking to him about our past…not to mention that I just don't want to deal with it, period._

"Look, Jet, I just don't think this is the best time …I'm here with my brother and the gang," she responded, losing herself in his dark eyes and feeling herself getting pulled in by the serious look they held. _What could you possibly have to say, anyways, Jet?_

Realizing who it was that his sister was greeting a mere ten feet away from him, Sokka quickly became enraged and began to speak in rabid tones to no one in particular, "Is that Jet?!? What the FUCK is he doing here?!?" His eyes turning into slits, he continued "Don't fucking tell me she invited him…I swear to the Gods if he even so much as touches her, he won't have any damn fingers to put another shitty toothpick in his mouth!"

The tanned hockey player began walking aggressively towards his sister and the tall fellow at her side. Within moments, he reached the two. Giving Jet a serious—nay, deadly—look, he spoke to his sister, "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you right now."

"No worries, Sokka. I can catch up with Katara later," Jet said nonchalantly, recognizing the older Kuruk's livid tone and already knowing better than to get between the two siblings. _I just hope we get a chance to talk later…It's time for me to apologize…_ "I'll try finding you later."

After Jet left, the blue-eyed girl stared daggers at her brother and strained to control the anger in her voice, "Sokka, what are you doing?" Through gritted teeth, she continued patiently, "I can handle him on my own."

Gesturing in Jet's departing direction, he exclaimed, "I'm getting you away from that fucking JERK—that's what!" The older brother continued in a quieter voice, a beseeching look in his eyes, "Look, I know he had something to do with what happened to you last semester…and I don't want to see you go through that again, okay?"

Sighing in comprehension of why her brother had overreacted, Katara took a deep breath to calm herself and smiled reassuringly at him. "I understand, Sokka. Thanks for watching out for me. Really…"

By the time the two had finished their conversation, Jet had disappeared. _Well, that makes things a lot easier—I guess Sokka's good for something…like running ex-boyfriends off…_Katara chuckled as she conjured up a mental image of Sokka racing his SUV down the road, chasing after a skateboarding Jet, hockey stick hanging out the window waiting to high stick him._But I wonder why Jet would wanna talk about "us"—I mean we're over, aren't we?_

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to her friends and shouted excitedly, "Well, who wants to go for a swim?" With that the group of friends jogged down to the water and joined the throngs of people enjoying the sparkling depths of the lake.

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_How did I get dragged into carrying everything from the car?_, Zuko grumbled to himself as he dragged a couple of chairs and the cooler through the parking lot to the beach. Trudging through the sand, he blindly followed the old man. "Uncle, hurry up and find a spot, already! This stuff isn't getting any lighter," he shouted in exasperation.

Turning around, the old man beamed a wide smile at the young man. "I think this will suit us fine, Zuko." With that, Iroh set down the bag he was carrying and waved at his nephew to join him.

When he reached his uncle, Zuko set everything he had been carrying down. "Seriously, Uncle, what did you bring in this cooler—it weighs a ton!" _The old man must think I'm some kind of ostrich-horse…_

"Oh, just some drinks and some food to eat," Iroh grinned to himself, silently adding _with plenty to share with any friends we might run into_.

Hot from lugging the equipment, Zuko removed his shirt and got to the task of setting up the beach chairs, placing the cooler between the two seats.

As he straightened up, he saw her walking towards the beach, dripping with water as she emerged from the lake. The sun beating down on her seemed to make her skin glow and her hair… _Am I dreaming_, he thought to himself, rubbing his eyes a little to make sure. _There's no way this is really happening!_ As he turned to his uncle, the look on his face turned from delighted shock to cloaked suspicion as the bearded gentleman waved at the young woman.

"Katara, is that you? Imagine seeing you here, especially as crowded as it is!"

Smiling as she walked up to the old man, she exclaimed, "Iroh! What a nice surprise!" Noticing Zuko standing nearby, she quickly took note—_he looks even better without a shirt_—of his defined muscles. "Excuse me for a sec, I need to grab a towel." _Wow…_

Handing her a towel, Iroh interrupted the blue-eyed girl's departure, "Actually, I brought an extra." Winking at Zuko, he continued, "Just in case…"

She took the Blue Spirit towel—it was Zuko's favorite when he was younger—from the older man, graciously smiling and uttering a quick "thanks" before drying herself off. As she finished, she wrapped the towel around her hips, tucking in the corner so it wouldn't fall off, dashing any hopes Zuko may have had otherwise before he even realized what he'd been hoping.

"So what brings you two to the lake today?" she asked the young man cheerfully.

_Her mood seems to have improved since Wednesday…_ "Uncle wanted to come out and enjoy the nice day," he replied. _I wonder if Uncle knew she was going to be here—not that it isn't a nice coincidence…_ "What about you?"

"Well, I'm here with my brother, my roommate and a couple of friends. We have a volleyball net up and we'll be playing later if you'd like to join us," she invited. Looking over her shoulder at where everyone was camped out, "I should get going before Sokka notices I'm gone." Waving at the two of them, she parted with, "I guess I'll see you later."

While she walked back, she snuck a quick glance back at Zuko, standing there in his red trunks. As her head turned, he quickly looked towards the water, pretending to admire the view. Catching his movement, she smiled to herself—_maybe he likes me too?_

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After sitting out for about 30 minutes, Zuko decided it was time to go for a quick swim. Walking towards the water, he stretched his arms out, preparing to swim out farther than all of the beach-goers and tourists, in the hopes of finding some peace. He waded into the water gingerly, allowing himself to adjust to the cooler temperature of the lake. Soon enough, he was waist-deep and dove in headfirst.

As he padded along, he silently thanked his uncle for forcing him to come to the beach. _If nothing else, you'll get some needed sun—'pale' is an understatement for the way your skin looks right now. 'Hello Day-Glo'… Not to mention that you saw your attractive classmate in a bikini…_With an internal groan, he realized he was doing "it" again—admiring his partner in a more than "just friends" way. By the time he stopped swimming, he found himself further out than he'd realized and he treaded water for about ten minutes before heading back towards the shore, slightly clearer-headed.

Walking back towards where he and his uncle had laid claim to the beach, he heard a voice call out to him. "Zuko, hey Zuko!"

Turning his head towards the voice, he pasted on a grin as he saw its owner. "Uh, hey Katara. What's up?" _Just another opportunity to admire you in that suit…_

"I spotted you walking up here and thought I should tell you that you need to put some sunblock on. Your back's beginning to look a little red…" she said thoughtfully as she bit her lower lip.

"Uh, thanks, I'll ask Uncle to help me out…" As he looked around, he realized that Iroh was nowhere to be found. "Have you seen my Uncle—I mean Iroh— around? Where'd that old man go now?"

Knowing that he was going to be badly sunburned if he didn't put some protection on, Katara decided to take charge. Folding her arms in front of her, she stared him down. "Look Zuko—you really need to put something on your back or you're gonna end up looking like a lobster-fish."

With some irritation to his voice, he objected, "Well, if Uncle's not around, how am I supposed to put it on? It's not like I can reach around and rub it onto my own back, now can I?" He'd been considering offering her a drink from the cooler, but now he felt irritation prickle along his—_so what if it was_—sunburning back.

"If you would stop being an idiot for _just a second_, maybe I can do it for you," she snapped, grabbing his hand and forcing him to sit on the beach mat nearby. "Now where does Iroh keep the suntan lotion?"

"It's probably in his beach bag by the chair," he grumbled, relenting and pinching the bridge of his nose, resigning himself to her orders.

She mumbled a quick "thanks" as she dug through the bag. Finding the bottle, she quickly squirted some lotion onto her hands and rubbed it between her palms before slathering it on his back. _What just happened? Did you just force him to have you put sunblock on him? Well, it's not like he didn't need it—he's going to get sunburned without it. And who would want to ruin all these nice, taut muscles with red and eventually peeling skin?_ Smiling to herself, she relished the movement of her hands against his back. _Ok, maybe it wasn't **entirely** out of his best interests that I took this on…_

When she began rubbing his back, Zuko was surprised at the cool feeling of the lotion. Her small hands made circles across his shoulder blades, quickly moving up his neck to make sure the sunblock made it to his hairline. In moments, he lost himself in her movements as she rubbed his shoulders. He sat up straight as she moved down towards his lower back. _For the love Agni, this is some kind of sweet torture…_he thought dreamily as the girl continued her work. _I'm going to sleep well tonight…_

With a start, he was brought back to reality by her voice. "Okay, all done—now you should be just fine for the rest of the afternoon! And, sorry about bossing you around there a moment ago…I guess the "mother arctic hen" came out of me again," she admitted sheepishly.

Confused by her statement, he queried, "What do you mean by 'mother arctic hen'?"

Chuckling at herself, she explained, "Well, I kind of have the reputation of taking care of everyone in our little group. I yell at Toph when she sneaks out, feed Sokka when he's hungry and take care of Aang when he needs it…It's just this annoying habit I have of wanting to take care of people and make them feel better. I guess that's why I'm a physical therapy major—I just want to help folks out."

"That's not a bad thing—it's pretty admirable, actually," he responded genuinely. The two just stared at each other for a moment before Katara's eyes broke away.

"Anyways, I gotta go—I'm pretty hungry and Sokka's got the grill going. Bye," she called before heading about ten yards down the beach to where everyone was seated and laughing at some story Sokka was telling.

As Zuko turned towards the ice chest next to him, he noticed a tall figure approaching him. _This definitely confirms it isn't a dream_, he thought to himself ironically. He nodded in the man's direction upon realizing it was the lead singer of The Freedom Fighters,. "Hey Jet. Enjoying the beach, too, I see."

"Yeah, but not nearly as much as you seem to be…I saw you talking to Katara a minute ago," Jet replied without emotion in an attempt to hide his jealousy. _Not to mention the fact that she was rubbing her hands all over your back…_

"Well, we ran into each other…So, yeah, we were chatting," Zuko replied neutrally as he pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler. For some reason, he didn't quite trust the vibe coming off the so-called 'rebel.'

Jet looked him over critically, forcing himself to remain relaxed. He nodded a bit to himself before he spoke again. "Look, I don't know what you want with her, but back off, okay? She and I have some unfinished business…"

"I think Katara can talk to whomever she pleases," the paler young man responded as he stood up to face Jet at eye level, his tone becoming more serious. He hadn't realized he'd automatically taken on a relaxed fighting stance, physically intimidating the other man.

"First of all, it's none of your fucking business, okay? And, second of all, it isn't very nice to get between a man and his woman. She's with me, so just stay out of it," said Jet simply, chewing on his toothpick and refusing to be put off. "And, not that you could, but I sure as hell don't want you fucking up my little plan. So just stay out of my way and you won't get hurt…"

_So this is the guy that hurt her…Makes sense—he seems like the type—I should have figured it out sooner._ "Yeah, whatever. Like I said, I think Katara can talk to whomever she wants…"

Before Jet could continue the conversation, Iroh showed up with a beaming smile. "Nephew, you won't believe the shops they have down the street from here—I practically got lost on my way back!" Upon spying Jet, the old man apologized, "I'm sorry—did I interrupt something. And who is this?" Iroh smiled at the lanky boy before him and extended his hand in recognition, "Ah—Jet is it? Nice to see you again. I trust you're enjoying a beautiful day at the beach!"

"Yeah, beautiful. Unfortunately, I've got to get going. Excuse me," he said shaking the older man's hand. With that, he ended the conversation, disdainfully eyeing Zuko as he walked away.

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"I don't know about you guys, but I'm stuffed," the dark-skinned boy stated, his stomach pooching out a bit as he sat back on his towel. "Nothing like barbecuing at the beach, huh guys?" he said aloud, as he fell back, feeling groggy from his impending food coma.

"That was great—thanks for making a veggie burger for me, too, Sokka!" Aang replied with a pleased smile on his face. The beach had started emptying out as the day had worn on and the majority of the families had already left, leaving mostly older youths and adults on the sandy shores. Looking at his partner in crime, the tattooed boy exclaimed, "Hey Toph, wanna go build sandcastles? Looks like most of the little kids have headed home…"

"Sure, why not Twinkle Toes? Race you down to the water?" the green-eyed girl queried with a goofy grin.

"You're on!" In moments, the two teenagers were splashing around in the water before they began their serious sandcastle-building competition. They tended to get 'creative' when it came to the task.

Watching them from their spot on the sand, Katara turned to her brother, who was already in the midst of a mid-afternoon nap. Suki was laid out beside him, enjoying the stillness.

"Hey Suki, wanna join me for a short walk along the water?"

"Nah—I think I'll take your brother's lead and take a short nap instead. Have fun…" she trailed off drowsily.

"Suit yourself…" she said, getting up and walking towards the water. _Surprisingly enough, today actually turned out to be pretty relaxing. I'll have to thank Suki for suggesting this. Maybe we can all come out here again before autumn hits?_ As she lost herself in thought, the blue-eyed girl was soon approached by a familiar tall figure.

"Hey Katara, how're you doing?" Jet called after her, jogging for a moment to catch up. He slowed to walk beside her when he reached her, and faced her when she stopped at the water's edge.

"Good—just finished eating a late lunch." _Uh oh, didn't he say earlier that he wanted to talk about "us"…Problem is, there is no "us"—as far as I'm concerned, anyways…_ "So, you guys been having fun?" she queried innocently.

"Yeah…Uh, do you think I could walk with you for a minute? I really want to talk to you…" he trailed off, staring out at the water. Slightly annoyed, he thought to himself, _why can't this be easier?_

Katara's breathing slowed for a second while she carefully considered her words. "Um, I'm really not ready to talk to you about, um, 'us,' Jet. I mean, there really isn't anything to talk about, if I remember correctly," the girl noted with a certain amount of firmness to her voice. _If I remember correctly, you had your shirt off and some girl was straddling you in your room…Hence the lack of "us"…_She recognized the irritation and humiliation building inside her, and she slowly started to walk away from him.

"Look I just need a minute—" he said with seriousness in his eyes as he darted around her, grabbing her wrist.

She tried pulling her arm away from him, but he just held onto her tighter. "Look Jet—I already told you, we have nothing to talk about, okay?" Katara responded through gritted teeth, remembering every controlling little thing he'd done to her as he held onto her with his viselike grip. "Now let me go…"

Unfortunately for him, whatever Jet was about to say was interrupted by a most _unwelcome_ intruder.

"Hey Katara—everything alright?" Zuko questioned as he approached the two, worried about why Jet was holding onto her so possessively – and bruisingly, going by the discoloration in her hand. Surveying the situation, he realized that Jet was working on whatever "plan" he had mentioned earlier. _I don't know what he's scheming, but I'm pretty sure the way he's treating her right now will produce the opposite effect of what he's hoping for…_

"We're fine—okay, Zuko…Why don't you run back to your grandpa over there and enjoy the sunshine?" Jet replied, barely masking the venom in his voice as his eyes widened and his eyebrows arched in anger. His look clearly stating, _this is none of your business, just walk away_.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're fine. Is he bothering you, Katara?" Zuko asked seriously, looking Katara in the eyes for any sign of distress.

Realizing that he was overreacting and holding Katara against her will, Jet released the dark-skinned girl's wrist and she took a step back into the water. "I'm sorry, I guess I better get going," he muttered, before recognizing it would have been best to part under better terms than that. "Uh, sorry Katara, I guess we can talk another time," he apologized walking away as fast as he could. _What was wrong with you there? You could've hurt her! _Clenching his hands into small fists at his sides, Jet thought angrily to himself, _Great way to show her you've changed—now she thinks you're some kind of psycho…_

Subconsciously rubbing her wrist, she belatedly responded to Zuko's question, "I'm fine now. Thanks for, uh, interrupting that. I don't know what got into him—he doesn't usually act that way…" she said pensively. Feeling the rhythmic sloshing of the water at her feet, she felt slightly calmer, especially since Jet was gone. Whether indoors or out, the water always had a soothing effect on her psyche. She hadn't noticed the trance the water had put her under until Zuko's concerned voice brought her back to reality.

"Looks like he was pretty desperate to talk to you," he replied honestly. _But I guess I can't blame him for not being over you and wanting to "win" you back…He probably didn't realize how lucky he was to have you in the first place…_

"Well, I guess that's his problem." _Maybe he shouldn't have cheated on me…At least Zuko was nice enough to get in the middle of that "situation"…He's just a really good guy at heart after all…_Smiling at Zuko, she noted, "You have pretty good timing, you know that?"

"What can I say—I just happened to be walking by and noticed you looked somewhat, um, uncomfortable," he tried to reply as coolly as possible, running his hand through his hair so not to show how embarrassed he was to serve as her "hero" yet again. Unfortunately, his blushing cheeks gave him away.

Taking advantage of the situation—_I wonder…_— she grabbed his free hand and quickly squeezed it. Since he didn't pull away, she got up on her tiptoes and deposited a small, innocent peck on his unscarred cheek. "Well, you've saved me once again, Zuko. One of these days I'll have to return the favor." Noticing he was a little uneasy at her action, she let go of his hand, "I guess I'll see you on Monday…"

As she walked away confidently, she knew it. _He does like me…And he doesn't seem like the type to go around breaking girls' hearts…_Shaking her head, she headed towards Toph and Aang, admiring their sandcastles in the setting sun.

Standing there dumbfounded, Zuko restrained himself from raising his hand up to where she had kissed him…_It was just an innocent peck on the cheek—nothing more, nothing less. She just wanted to thank you…_As he took a deep breath and headed back to where Iroh was beginning to pack up their belongings, he thought seriously to himself, _I really hope this doesn't fuel yet another weird dream…Then again, it could make things more interesting…_

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Author's Note: So, this one ended on a super fluffy hopeful moment! Katara admits she likes Zuko, Zuko's still coming around to the realization and Jet doesn't like any of it one bit…even though Iroh's obviously plotting otherwise.

And in case you were wondering, a _gi _is what the training uniforms are called in most schools of martial arts.

Lastly, I probably won't be able to update until next weekend—I'm working all of this coming-up weekend.

As always, huge thanks to Moor for helping me clean up this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for amusement purposes only—so I hope you're amused!

**Chapter 10**

Suki and Katara waved as Sokka drove away from campus. Smiling, they giggled as they discussed the day's events. Remembering Sokka's flustered reaction to Aang's and Toph's 'interesting' sand sculptures, they broke into guffaws as they stood in the hallway unlocking the door to their room. As they entered, Suki calmed her shaking shoulders and took a deep breath as she finally decided to talk to Katara about what she had observed earlier that day. _Time to get some serious dirt…_

"So, Katara, what was going on with you and Zuko today?" she asked plainly, as they walked into their shared room.

Warily eying her roommate, Katara took a deep breath, "Um, nothing, why?"

"What I saw wasn't 'nothing,' Katara," the short-haired girl replied knowingly as she unpacked her beach bag. Examining her roommate for a reason as to why she would keep the truth to herself, she continued, "I noticed when you first saw him and Iroh—with a big smile on your face, no less. And something tells me you weren't smiling at the sight of Iroh in swim trunks," she exclaimed, one eyebrow raised.

Wearing a more serious face, she continued, "Not to mention I caught you when you were rubbing suntan lotion on his back. So are you going to tell me what's going on or not?" _I just want to help, Katara…We're friends aren't we?_

_I guess I'd better fess up, but what if she tells Sokka? I don't want to have to deal with him and this…_Sitting down cross-legged on the floor and looking Suki straight in the eye, "You have to promise not to tell Sokka…"

_Oh, that's definitely a promising start if I ever did hear one, _thought Suki, smirking internally. Laughing at the notion that she would share such obviously important information with her roommate's brother, she assured the other girl. "Katara, of course I won't tell him! I'm your roommate and teammate first and—well, whatever I have with your brother—comes second. Besides, who do you think distracted him when I saw you with Zuko?" she asked with a sly grin on her face. _Granted, I did have fun 'distracting' Sokka…_"And if your brother's past behavior is any indication, he would've already tried to break Zuko's face by lunchtime if he'd noticed you and him together at the beach! So now that this is out of the way, are you gonna dish or not?" she asked with a knowing smile on her face.

Giggling at the thought of Sokka trying to go after Zuko—_that would make for an interesting match_—the blue-eyed girl finally gave up on the idea of keeping her attraction to Zuko secret. With a nervous gulp, she began, "Well, since we've been partnered up in class, I've found out he isn't a jerk. In fact, you were right—he does have redeeming qualities."

Smiling widely in satisfaction at having her suspicions confirmed, Suki sat down across from the brunette and encouraged her to continue. "And?" she wheedled, relishing Katara's attempts to evade eye contact. _Come on…if you can't share this with me, how are you ever going to deal with him?_

Unknowingly allowing a small blush to creep across her cheeks as she glanced down, Katara finally gushed, "And…I like him. He's genuinely nice and, well, I appreciate it, I guess." Shrugging her shoulders, she continued, "And I think he might like me back…But I could be wrong."

"So, what's next?"

Flashing through Katara's mind, she rapidly contemplated several possibilities—one of which included a very naked version of Zuko—but she brought herself back to reality when it came to what she believed would actually happen.

"Nothing's 'next,' Suki. I may like him, but it's not like I've got an abundance of time to spend with someone else right now. And I really need to concentrate on school and water polo—pursuing a guy right now would be a big distraction from that," the Water Tribe girl honestly replied, her voice laced with a bittersweet tinge as she half-heartedly tried to convince herself of the same. _If only things were different…_

"I don't get it—you like him, you think he likes you and you're not going to do _anything_ about it? Where's the logic in that, Katara?" Slightly dumbfounded, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to empathize with her friend.

"I have responsibilities, Suki—to myself, my family and my team. I can't take the chance of falling apart over some guy again. I'm not willing to put myself—or the people that care about me—through that a second time."

"What do you mean 'again,' K?" she queried gently in false confusion. _I know what you're talking about, Katara, but your brother swore me to secrecy. He wouldn't have told me if he wasn't worried about you…I swear!_

"Well, you know Jet is my ex, right?" watching the girl across from her nod her head, she continued soberly. "Well, he, um, cheated on me last year, around mid-terms." She paused momentarily, her mind flashing back to what she had walked in on earlier that year. _He thought I'd be in class…But class was cancelled…_

Before she could re-immerse herself in the raw emotions she felt at _that horrible, wish-I-could-forget-it_ _moment_, she continued, "I took it pretty badly—I was cramming for tests, competing and forgetting to do basic things like eating and sleeping. I was lucky that Sokka and Coach noticed and helped me pick up the pieces." _I was lucky they were there watching out for me…I didn't want what happened to me—what he did to me—to get to me…but it did. He did._

Tearing her mind away from the memory, she then placed her thumb and forefinger an inch apart in order to emphasize her next point. Staring her roommate straight in the eyes, she continued, "I was this close to being put on academic probation, Suki. I was this close to losing my scholarship and screwing up everything I had worked for, not to mention disappointing my family."

Getting up from the floor as if trying to physically distance herself from the unhappy memories, she spoke her concerns aloud, "And I'm not going to risk that for what—three months, if that, of satisfying an immature crush on him? It's just not practical…" she finished resolutely, _but it could be different, _her internal voice chided. _**He** could be different._ She ignored the voice. "Besides, he's my class project partner. What am I going to do if the shit hits the fan with him? In the end, it's better this way."

_Or at least it's easier this way_, her internal voice admonished…_but not necessarily better_.

"I see your point, but I don't totally agree with you," said Suki sympathetically. "But who am I to argue with the best outside scorer on our team!" she ended on a positive note. Smiling as she got up, she grabbed her plastic basket of shower supplies and a clean towel, and headed to the women's restrooms.

As she walked slowly down the hallway, she reflected on what her roommate had confided. _She still has to work with him all semester—I mean, she's bound to break sooner or later…_Thinking of the story she'd hear then, Suki grinned lasciviously. _But she seems pretty determined. I guess only time will tell…_ Resigning herself to the fact that her roommate was just confused for the time being, she knew she'd hear more of "the crush" and hoped that, in the end, it would work out for the best. _I'd hate to see her hurt again—no one deserves that twice in a lifetime…_

Watching Suki silently leave their room, Katara decided to finish unpacking her sand-filled beach bag. As she emptied the tote of its contents, she realized that she had accidentally kept the towel Iroh had handed her earlier in the day. Throwing it into her laundry basket, she figured she'd wash it and return it to Zuko later that week. She didn't notice the large picture of the Blue Spirit on the towel.

Instead, she momentarily remembered the sight of her classmate in his red swim trunks. Her mind slowly went over their interactions that entire afternoon—from first seeing him _and every little muscle on him_ to her final innocent kiss on his cheek at the end of the day _which he seemed to like_—and she couldn't help but smile. Shaking her head free of the runaway thoughts, she frowned and reminded herself of her responsibilities. _There's no way it'll work—just get over it and move on…_

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When Monday rolled around, Katara did her best to not stare at her classmate and mentally picture him in his beach attire. Instead, she decided to write Professor Wu's lectures down verbatim during the upcoming class sessions. It kept her mostly occupied, but she'd still snuck in glances at him, only to thoughtfully notice how nice his hands were _and I wonder how they'd feel _or how his hair flew into his eyes _at the most inopportune moment_. As soon as class ended, she flew out of the room as quickly as possible, feigning some pressing engagement that she _absolutely _had to get to on time.

Zuko, for his part, didn't know how to handle the burgeoning attraction going on between him and his classmate. He basically let it go, figuring that it was just a simple kiss and that she'd never meant more to it than the straightforward thanks she gave. By the time their first test was announced nearly a week after their beach run-in, he figured that it wouldn't be inappropriate to ask her to join him in a study session. _She might appreciate someone to study with…and if she's not interested, she'll just say no, right? _To his pleasant surprise, she accepted the offer and suggested they figure out the details the weekend before the test.

Meanwhile, Katara somehow found the time to chat with **bluspirit**, still in blissful ignorance of his real identity. Late at night, when she should have been studying or finishing homework, she'd message her online friend, relaying a story about her day or providing small details about herself. She enjoyed the easygoing 'give and take' rapport she shared with him. _Why can't it be this easy to talk to boys all the time?_, she often thought as she typed away on her keyboard.

For his part, Zuko (as **bluspirit**) carefully paid attention to what she told him, mentally filing away the information should it possibly become useful in the future. He knew something was different about their interaction, but he couldn't place his finger on it. What he didn't realize was the simple flirtation she had exchanged with him online in the past had now disappeared; Katara's thoughts instead focused on school—or so she told herself—and her classmate. Nonetheless, he still enjoyed talking to her, especially without the uncomfortable awkwardness that he so often displayed in person.

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The time flew by; nearly two weeks since Katara had agreed to a study session with Zuko. She knew that being alone with him wouldn't be the best idea—_especially considering your incident at the library last year, _but she couldn't help herself. _One study session isn't going to screw things up, right?_

With classes and her training schedule, Katara had been so busy that it was practically a surprise when the day for going over the exam finally rolled around. Shifting uncomfortably in her plastic seat, she waited for Professor Wu to finish lecturing.

Jumping into the test review, the gray-haired professor wordlessly passed around a review sheet. Acknowledging with a nod of her head that she would now take questions, Professor Wu spent the last 30 minutes of class answering queries made by students. When the class time ended, she reminded everyone to study well over the weekend and waved them off with a flourish.

As he packed up his things, Zuko turned to the brunette at his right, who was doing the same. "So, when did you want to meet up this weekend?"

Closing her eyes for a moment to remember her schedule over the coming days, Katara responded, "Well, I'm going to go to practice early on Saturday and volunteer that afternoon and then I'm heading out to the pool Sunday morning. So, it's either Saturday night or Sunday afternoon or evening. What'll work with your training and DragonsTea schedule?"

"Well, I'm opening on Saturday morning and working the mid-day shift on Sunday. So, if it's alright with you, we can meet up at the library on Saturday night. Maybe 7 p.m.? What do you think?"

As he spoke, she inadvertently remembered a similar evening study session last fall semester. _Even if it was with Jet, I **did** have fun at the time—with the exception of getting caught by Mr. Zei_. Mentally grimacing, she forced away the embarrassing incident. _But this time, we'll really study._ Katara smiled back. "Sure, sounds good. See you then!" As she walked away from him, a small voice crept out of her subconscious, _if something happens this time around, you might have to consider getting help for this growing library addiction…_

As she left the classroom, Katara quickly reviewed the situation. _So, the hot classmate that you're attracted to is going to a late-night study session with you in the library…This could be very interesting…Who knew the library could be such an aphrodisiac? _Joking to herself, she momentarily snickered, _maybe I should consider being a librarian?_

But before her imagination could jump into another Zuko-related fantasy, she whipped her mind out of it and straightened her shoulders in a physical reminder of how she needed to strengthen her resolve. As she strode quickly to her next class she emphasized the importance of ignoring her growing feelings for him. She tried hard to convince herself that what Sokka and Coach had told her was true, that she had to focus on getting an education. _You can't pursue this—school comes first this time around!_ But, deep down, she knew it wouldn't be as easy as they had set out.

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Zuko nervously gripped the straps of his backpack at his shoulders. He'd unconsciously gotten to the library about 15 minutes early in his eagerness to meet with his partner. As he waited on a bench near the entrance, his mind began to wander to his classmate…along with the inevitable images that thinking of her brought.

As he remembered a recent dream—not to mention his more explicit fantasies of late—he didn't notice when she finally showed up right on time. His mind was instead occupied with the thought of her in his favorite Blue Spirit towel and not much else…

Somewhat surprised that he hadn't noticed her, Katara waved and interrupted his train of thought. Stopping right in front of him, she bent over in order to make eye contact with him, uttering, "Hey, Zuko. How're you doing?"

Focusing his eyes on the young woman before him, he smiled, holding in the dirty grin he internally wished he could show. _I'm doing better than you should know_. "I'm doing alright. Ready to head inside?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were having a pretty involved daydream there, Zuko," the young woman joked.

Uncomfortably laughing along, Zuko kept his mouth shut, afraid to reveal anything he shouldn't. _Agni help me if she can read minds!_

As they walked into the library, they glanced around. Even though it was a Saturday night, the library was still bustling with quiet activity. Illuminated by the stark fluorescent lighting, people were studying in the silent study room and computer stations were filled with students diligently typing or researching. Heading towards the reserve desk, Katara smiled as Mr. Zei's face came into view.

"Hey Mr. Zei, you think I can get a group study room?" she asked with a friendly smile. As the desk attendant shifted his eyes between Katara and her classmate, she couldn't help recognizing the similarities between the current situation and her last late-night rendezvous at the library.

_Please don't mention anything embarrassing, Mr. Zei…and I **really **hope he doesn't think I'm some skank, bringing guys here to satisfy some creepy book fetish! If anything does happen—which it won't—maybe a quick visit to counseling and psych services would be in order…They seem to have counseling groups for everything, but something tells me they won't have one for **that**._ Pulling her brain back to reality, she saw the look on the librarian's face and recognized it wasn't what she was hoping for.

Frowning as he examined the log book closely, he looked up with a small sigh on his lips. "Sorry Katara, but all the study rooms are taken for the time being. It looks like the earliest folks are planning on leaving is 9 p.m."

"Are you sure there isn't anything available?" the dark-skinned girl asked seriously. _What are we going to do if we can't study here? I mean, it's the library for Gods' sake—and what the hell is everyone doing here on a Saturday night, anyways?!? Don't they have some stupid frat party to head out to?_

The irritation must have shown plainly on her face as the librarian replied, "There isn't anything available. I guess everyone's studying for one thing or another and we just don't have the space with only the reserve room open this late at night. Sorry, but I just can't help you this time, Katara. Good luck with your studies!" he ended on a positive note, not to mention a sly grin he intentionally shot her way.

As they walked outside, Katara felt slightly embarrassed by the look Mr. Zei gave her. _I hope Zuko didn't notice it—how the hell would I explain that…There really isn't any other way to explain it…not to mention how uncomfortable it would be to even mention what happened out loud…_She still remembered how hard Toph had laughed when she'd relayed the story to her months ago.

When they finally made it back into the cool night air, she turned to Zuko, who had a somewhat worried look on his face. Unaware what to do next she simply asked, "So, what do you think we should do?"

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to study with her—_I'm sure there are a few things I could help her with, _he seriously convinced himself—he replied, "Is there anywhere else on campus that we can study? I don't know if the commons or the student union is open, but we could go there—"

Shaking her head, the brunette interrupted his train of thought, "They're both closed on weekends." Realizing they were out of options, she made the only suggestion she could, _It's probably a bad idea, but I hope he won't be put off by this. There's really no where else to go_…"Well, my roommate's out of town, so we can head over to my dorm room. We're allowed to have guests until about midnight—not that I think we'll be studying that late—but it'll be quiet and comfortable. What do you think?" she asked, studying his face for any signs of trepidation. But she silently hoped that he would go with her suggestion. _Okay, no funny business, Katara. You're going to study with him and then send him off on his merry way…Besides, he could just say no, right?_

Shrugging his shoulders, the young man reluctantly agreed. _Not only is her roommate out of town, but it'll be quiet and comfortable…_Convincing himself that they would simply have an innocent night of studying, he replied "If you're okay with it, sure. I mean, it's not like we have anywhere else to go, right?"

Beaming a wide smile at the response that she'd received, she began to walk purposefully towards her hall. "Right. Well, I guess I'll lead the way."

After a moment, Zuko looked over at her and asked, "Are we in a rush? You're walking pretty fast."

Katara swallowed her nervous laugh. "Oh no, um, sorry. I'm, uh, just keen to start studying. I mean, we only have so much time, right?" she lied, cursing her eager feet and the mental image of Zuko in his swim trunks again that had spurred her on to begin with. _Just admit it—you're screwed, Katara! Admitting it is the first step, right? _coaxed her internal voice. _Bite me—we're gonna study if I have to wrap him in my damn parka!_ she seethed back.

_She seems…tense_, part of him remarked. As they walked away from the library, he noticed the slight apprehension he felt at going to her dorm room. _You're going to be in her room, alone, no supervision or interruptions…Don't do anything embarrassing, Zuko—remember she's your classmate!_ Relaxing slightly, he reminded himself_, you're a sensei—you've just got to stay focused on what's important here—you're just there to study with her. Nothing more, nothing less. _

_But what kind of girl brings guys up to her room? _a hungry voice reminded him.

As if reading his mind, Katara interrupted the growing silence between them and mindlessly blurted out, "Just so you know, I don't really bring guys up to my room…So, uh, don't get any ideas," she joked half-heartedly. _But if you just can't control yourself…_

"Right, no ideas," he muttered back. Of course, as soon as he said this, his mind did flood with what _could_ possibly happen… actually, flooded systematically with _everything_ that could possibly happen.

Nervously continuing, "Yeah, if Sokka even knew you were coming over, he'd probably lose it. He kind of has a problem with me and guys."

"Yeah, I, uh, kind of noticed that. He seems very…protective…" he trailed off and, once again, they were enveloped in quiet. Every footfall, every breath they took, seemed magnified as the noise echoed off the nearby buildings. Every now and then, someone would walk by, and then disappear into the darkness. Not considering how chilly it would be on the walk back to her dorm—_I'm from the South Pole, how could I possibly forget my jacket?—Katara _ secretly wished she had the nerve _or the invitation_ to slip her arm into his, if for no other reason but to be a little warmer.

Coming up to her residence hall, she pointed at the building, "Well, here's my res hall. We'll just get you checked in really quickly, then we can head up and get our study on!" she said as cheerfully as she could, masking her discomfort at the idea of having him in her room _alone_.

While they walked up to the front desk, Joo Dee sat there reading through some trashy celeb magazine. As soon as she eyed them, though, her trademark fake smile flashed on. "Hello—it's Katara, right? How can I help you?"

"Hey Joo Dee, I just need to check in a guest. He'll be here until about 11 p.m."

Scanning the young man at Katara's side, "Well, then, I'll need to see your ID card, sir." Pulling the wallet out of his back pocket and grabbing his student identification card, Zuko obliged. As she scanned the card, she wrote down his ID number in a small log book. "Thank you. Please note that you'll need to leave no later than midnight—there are no overnight guests in our hall." With an overly cheery smile that bordered on maniacal, she handed Zuko his card back. "Have a nice evening!" she called after them as they headed towards the elevator.

As they stepped into the elevator, Katara whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "I swear Joo Dee's on uppers or something because her cheery attitude _has_ to be chemically induced. I mean, who smiles like that all the time? I'd go crazy if I were her…"

Chuckling at the idea of Katara wearing the same creepy smile, Zuko quieted as the elevator went up. As they slowly moved along, he became aware of how small the room was and how close his partner was. It suddenly seemed a little too warm in there and as the doors opened, Zuko let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _It was just warm in there—it didn't have anything to do with being in a confined space with her. Besides, if this is how you act now, what exactly do you plan on doing when you're actually in her room?_

Walking him down the hallway towards Katara's room, they could hear the noise of music or a TV murmuring through the walls. After unlocking it quickly, Katara led him inside. With a simple announcement and a weak smile, she welcomed him with a comic flourish of her hands, "And here we are."

Looking around the room in curiosity, Zuko instantly recognized which side belonged to her. On her bed was a powder blue polka dot comforter with a stuffed koala-otter sitting on her pillow; above her desk was a corkboard covered in a dozen photos of her with her family, her team and a couple of shots of her with Toph and Aang; finally, sitting on her desk was a framed photo of what Zuko presumed was her family, including both her parents. _She looks a lot like her mom…_he thought to himself before turning his attention back to her.

Kicking off her shoes near the door, she closed the space between them and put her book bag down by her desk, motioning for him to take a seat on the bed. "Why don't you sit down?"

Noticing her movement, he took off his shoes in kind and gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. Placing his own backpack nearby, he hesitated a moment—_I suppose I should focus on studying, as opposed to other 'activities'—_and queried, "I guess we should get started, huh?"

Smiling brightly, Katara responded, "Yeah, let me dig out the flashcards I made for some of the key terms and concepts." With a shrug of her shoulders, she continued, "I find it's easier to memorize things this way. I'll go through them with you and then we can review some of the theories from the past few chapters. Okay?"

"Sounds good. Let's get started," he responded, impressed she had planned everything out. _Not that it would be entirely horrible to have some time to kill doing something else_…Leaning back on the bed so that his back was to the wall, he pulled out his books. Katara joined him, hopping onto the opposite end from him with her flashcards in one hand and her notebook open across her lap.

Soon enough, she was barking terms and concepts at him, eagerly awaiting his response. At times, she laughed at his definitions, either because they were absolutely wrong or because he had an odd way of explaining something. Her eyes memorized his movements, including _his self-assured smile_ when he got something right and _how his hands run through his hair_ when he realized he was incorrect. It took quite a bit of willpower for her to keep her focus on their studies.

As the night wore on, they went back on forth, clarifying the myriad theories that they had been presented thus far in the semester. At times, Zuko would groan in frustration as he feverishly looked for the answer in their book, triumphantly pointing out when he was right and sheepishly apologizing when he was wrong. Katara had similar reactions, though hers came out less politely on certain points of contention. Eventually, they conceded it was time for a break, especially as both had been stifling yawns over the past half-hour.

"Alright, I don't know about you, but I definitely need a stretch to wake me up," admitted Katara, grimacing at her stiff muscles and how her butt had fallen asleep from sitting so long. Standing up to pace a bit and roll her shoulders, "Hmm, you up for a quick snack?" she queried politely.

When he looked up from his notes, she was already on her hands and knees, pulling out a plastic tote from under her bed. Rummaging through it, she poked her head out and asked, "You like fire flakes, right?"

"Yes, thanks," he replied, surprised she had remembered. As he gratefully accepted, a bag of fire flakes came flying from over the side of the bed. He caught it easily, but yawned wide enough to crack his jaw and rubbed his face to 'wake up' a bit. _Definitely a good idea_, he agreed; _I hadn't realized how dozy I was getting_.

"There you go. I think I'll munch on the mango," she said as she hopped back onto the bed, refreshed from the mild activity. "So, I think we've finished everything on the review sheet. Did you need to go over anything else?"

_I could think of a few things to 'review' but none of them will be on the test…_Hoping to extend his time with her for just a few more minutes, he suggested, "I think it might be good to go through the textbook one more time—you know make sure we aren't missing anything important."

Considering the thought as she tore into another piece of dried fruit, _it would be a shame to miss anything important…**anything important**_, her mind emphasizedShe pursed her lips as she replied, "Alright. But we better be sure to get you out of here soon—we wouldn't want to upset Joo Dee," she joked with a remarkably accurate parody of the dorm manager's artificial smile. It caused them both to chuckle a bit as they settled back in to their studying.

Katara skimmed the pages, looking at all the text she had thoughtfully highlighted in bright blue earlier in the semester. After about 30 minutes of staring at the pages, though, she began to feel drowsy. Her eyes fluttered in a feeble attempt to keep her alert. _Stay awake…gotta stay awake…need to study…_she chanted in her mind. Alas, she gave in and her head drooped as her body relaxed, giving in to the slumber that she so sorely needed.

Zuko, of course, was so intent on his studying and avoiding the piercing blue eyes of his classmate—_every time you look at her, some silly thought crosses your mind—_that he didn't notice her nodding off. Unfortunately for him, he, too, began to drift off. He tried shaking off the feeling—_this isn't the library, you can't fall asleep here! Just imagine the look on her face when you wake up…_However, internally he reveled at the potential of waking up next to her and, eventually, his body won out in the end. In moments, Zuko was asleep, too, slumped against the wall, blissfully unaware of what would soon transpire.

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He thought he was dreaming—he honestly believed that everything he was feeling couldn't be real. But deep down inside, he knew, _it's all too real…_He could smell her hair, could feel her warm back against him—he could practically feel her in his arms.

Coming out of his nap, he was vaguely aware of the wall at his back and something lumpy under his head. Adjusting himself, he accidentally banged his head against the wall. As he opened his eyes, he noted in his haze that he was lying on his side with a stuffed koala-otter directly in front of him. _What the hell is a stuffed koala-otter doing on my bed? _he wondered in confusion. And then it dawned on him—he wasn't in _his _bed. Realizing that his arm was wrapped around someone's waist, he delicately removed it and then moved the stuffed animal out of the way, his eyes widening in shock as Katara's wavy brown hair revealed itself.

_Oh shit, I must've fallen asleep! What's going on? I don't remember falling asleep next to her…_Not knowing if he should move or not—_what if she wakes up?_ He lay there, still for a moment, trying to find a way to carefully extricate himself from the situation. He began to move his right arm in hopes of pushing himself up from the bed, but he stopped as soon as he felt Katara stir.

"Mmm…" she grunted in her sleep, impeding his actions.

Inching nearer to him, her bottom rubbed against his groin as she snuggled herself ever closer. He lay motionless, back against the wall, as he bit back a small moan—_is she trying to seduce me in her sleep or something?!?_ Reaching for his arm, she entwined her fingers with his as she pulled him around her waist. In moments, Zuko's fingertips were brushing against the smooth skin of his classmate's stomach.

_Well, I guess this isn't the worst position to be put in_, he thought gamely, as he found himself nose deep in the mass of chestnut curls atop the sleeping girl's head. _I suppose I could try sleeping again—I mean, I can't get in trouble if I'm asleep, too, right?_ Stopping short of nodding to himself in agreement, he suddenly heard a shrill alarm sound from the other side of the door. _What the hell is that?!?_

Within moments of the siren going off, the girl at his side stirred. Waking from her nap and squinting at the sudden brightness, Katara wasn't sure what was going on. Closing her eyes to more fully consider the situation, she thought _Is that the fire alarm? Ugh, this better not be another stupid fire drill! Figures—I spend the whole damn night studying and, of course, some idiot has to do something stupid to get the alarm going. Please just be a practice drill I can ignore, it's the middle of the night and my bed is so warm and comfy right now. _

…_Really warm, _she realized, and she should've smartened up by that alone, but she instead wallowed in her pleasant ignorance another moment longer. _Not to mention the well-muscled arm around my waist…Arm around my waist? What in the world…_As she became more conscious of her surroundings, it dawned on her…there was somebody with her in bed. Her bed.

_What in the world is going on? _she thought to herself starkly, confronting her growing anxiety. Her eyes widened as she stared across the room, forcing her breathing to stay level. She had never walked Zuko out that night, and she didn't remember him leaving. _Uh oh…_

She looked down, following the line of his upper arm, down to his elbow, to his well-toned forearm, hoping that his appendage would magically disappear, only to be somewhat shocked to feel his warm hand on her tummy. Fortunately for Zuko, she found she really didn't mind it. _Great, not only do you have a guest in your room after hours—and a **very** handsome male guest at that—but you didn't get anything out of it, either! Not even a kiss! So now you're going to be in trouble with Joo Dee **and** you'll have to move in with Sokka **and** never see another guy again—for what? What was supposed to be a simple night of studying! _

After taking a deep breath and mentally berating herself further, she cautiously rolled over—_he might still be asleep for all I know_—and turned to face the man who lay only inches from her.

Upon feeling her turning towards him, Zuko panicked and froze up, unsure if he should move his hand, jump out of bed or simply take whatever was coming to him. _Is she going to freak out? It isn't what it looks like, Katara—I mean, it's not like I took advantage of you or something._

Gazing at him for a moment, she appraised the situation and admired his slightly scruffy appearance, _not to mention the fact that he looks fantastic laid out on my bed like that_. Not sure what to say, she quietly asked, "This isn't studying, is it?" Looking down at both of them, she silently thought, _at least I have my clothes on—that's a good sign…And falling asleep next to him explains the dream I had, doesn't it?_

Zuko's cheeks tinted, revealing his embarrassment. "I fell asleep and woke up next to you." Finally realizing that he still had his hand around her waist, he removed it quickly and pointed at the textbooks that were carelessly tossed on the floor, emphasizing, "We must've fallen asleep while we were reading. I woke up when I heard the alarm." He looked pensive a moment before continuing. "Honestly, Katara, I didn't mean for this to happen. And I certainly don't want to get you in trouble with your res hall advisor."

Breaking what could have been a tender moment, Katara shook herself out of the grogginess that still lingered and paid attention to the fact that the fire alarm was still blaring in the background. "Okay, uh, with the whole fire alarm thing, I think we both need to get out of here right now."

He nodded as she got herself out of bed and glanced at her alarm clock, groaning, "Fuck, it's 1:30 a.m.! I really hope Joo Dee doesn't notice you when we evacuate—I don't want to get a notice. Anyways, let's high-tail it out of here. You ready?"

Zuko's mind raced as he rushed to gather his things, his good intentions warring with his more honest desires. _All I have to do is grab my stuff and get out. Hopefully, she'll just shrug it off and forget about it. Yeah, right, how could anybody forget about waking up next to their classmate in bed? Whatever—just grab your stuff and go!_

As he hopped on one foot to pull on his sneaker, they heard some muffled shouting. Turning towards the banging on the door, they both froze. "If anybody's in there, please evacuate quickly," a frazzled, albeit still saccharine voice called out. "This is NOT a drill—I repeat, this is not a drill!" the manager called, becoming more distant as the person ran down the hall.

_Stupid Joo Dee—I'm trying to get out of here as quick as I can!_ "You heard her, we've gotta go!" she said glaring at Zuko, thoughtfully grabbing a jacket before dashing out the door.

Not knowing his way around, he simply ran after the girl who was furtively moving down the hallway. Listening for the sounds of anyone who may catch her sneaking out her late-night guest, she darted into the women's restroom. He followed her inside, not knowing what was going on. Katara poked her head out the door to check for any oncoming bodies, briefly explaining the situation. "If someone finds you here, I'll be in BIG trouble. I'm not supposed to have anyone here after midnight, okay? So, I'm just gonna sneak you out as best I can."

Nodding in understanding, he let her lead the way. As they raced between hiding places, she peeked around the corner one last time before they finally made it to the stairwell. As they raced down—as nonchalantly as possible—they heard the footsteps of other people above and below them. Even though it felt like a serious situation, they could still hear people laughing above the din of the alarm. _At least no one's hurt…or at least it doesn't sound like that big a deal_, Katara thought breathlessly as she headed through the exit door and, finally, into the cool night air.

Crowded 50 feet away from the building, the residents of the dorm were milling about. As they had practiced in an evacuation drill not too long ago, Katara knew to check in with the safety coordinator. Of course, the safety coordinator was whoever was manning the front desk at that time—which meant Joo Dee would be frantically running around, trying to check everyone in. Pushing Zuko into the anonymity-granting crowd—_Joo Dee cannot find out that he never made it out tonight_—she scanned the herd for the cheerful face she'd become accustomed to encountering on weekend evenings.

After a few minutes of waiting, Joo Dee burst out of the building, wearing a hard hat and a bright yellow vest. Shouting to the crowd with a frustrated smile, she tried her best to command their attention, but saw her attempts fall flat. "I need everyone to check in with me and let me know they've made it out of the building safely! Please check in immediately!"

The Water Tribe girl calmly approached the woman, "Hey, Joo Dee—guess I need to check in, huh?"

"Name?" Joo Dee asked automatically, eying the clipboard before her. Consumed with her current status as safety coordinator, Joo Dee didn't bother to look at the person addressing her.

Rolling her eyes, _she obviously knows my name_, the brunette responded, "Kuruk, Katara Kuruk. So, what happened if this isn't a drill?"

Realizing who she was speaking with, the girl's cheerful demeanor cracked for a moment. Showing a fraction of the weariness she had been masking, she confessed. "I guess some idiots were throwing a ball around on the fifth floor and hit one of the sprinklers…so the alarm went off and the fire department was called." At that, Joo Dee rushed off again, intent on checking in all the displaced residents.

Shaking her head and walking away herself, Katara was kind of surprised to find Zuko waiting for her a few feet away. _What is he still doing here? If I was him, I would've just gone home…_

Not knowing what to do, Zuko had decided against skulking off into the night. _It wouldn't be right to just sneak off—I better apologize for what happened. I mean, with the exception of falling asleep in my arms, the night went pretty well._ _Then again, I didn't **mind** her sleeping in my arms…_

As she approached him, eyes shining brightly in the moonlight, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to fall asleep. I guess I was tired. Nothing happened, okay?"

Pointing her index finger into his chest to emphasize her point, she glared at him, "That's right, nothing happened, Zuko. I don't know what you think you were doing in there, but it's not happening again, alright?" _I hope this sounds as serious as I'm trying to make it sound. I think it would've been nice to wake up next to him if it wasn't for the damn fire alarm…_

Stepping back from the fierceness she was projecting, he put his hands up as a small sign of concession, "No, of course, not. Won't happen again. I'm sorry, okay? Can we just forget this ever happened?" As he spoke, though, he knew he was lying—honestly, he didn't _want_ to forget about it. _How often do I have the opportunity to wake up next to a beautiful girl?_ As he had the revelation, he straightened up a little bit, hoping that his posture would emphasize the forthrightness of his words.

Realizing he understood, she relaxed her stance a bit. "Fine. I guess I was just tired out from swimming and volunteering today…so it isn't entirely your fault." Eyes downcast, she quietly apologized, "I'm sorry, too."

Surprised by her admission, he offered an understanding smile and his hand as a sign of truce, "Forgiven. And with that, I think I'll be going."

She shook his hand, momentarily lost in her thoughts, not realizing that she hadn't let go of him. _Damn, he is a good guy…this would be so much easier if he was some pervy jerk…_Biting her lip, knowing that she would regret her next move, she pulled him in for a hug nonetheless.

His arms slightly stiff at his side, he quickly gave in to the welcoming and forgiving gesture and returned her embrace. _Okay, at least she's not mad at you_, he thought, mildly surprised at her physical attempt to smooth things over between them. _And you didn't screw things up between you too horribly…_

In an automatic gesture, she moved in to give him a short peck on the cheek, as was often the custom in her tribe. As she did so, Zuko's face moved towards her, ostensibly so that he would be able to look her in the eye when she released him.

Looking back, she should have caught the sound—she'd heard it so many times before—but she didn't notice the faint noise of a skateboard coming down the sidewalk.

But before she knew it, Zuko had his lips on hers and the Water Tribe girl found herself in an uncomfortable kiss. But as she thought to pull away, she felt something inside her break; her willpower, her determination, the wavering responsibility she had stubbornly put on herself—it all disappeared as she renewed the kiss, pressing her lips onto his. _Gods, forgive me…but I can't fight this…not now…_

As she did so, Zuko realized that she was responding to their closeness, _in fact, she wants it_. He suddenly felt something in his gut tighten, urging him to rise to the opportunity laid out before him. He wrapped his arms around her anew, more tightly and confidently, placing one hand on the small of her back and the other cupping her face. He wanted this; _I need this…_and he kissed her tenderly, not wanting the moment to end.

While they explored each other's lips a moment longer, they ignored the crowd that was still nearby.

--------------------------------

As he had made his way back home from rehearsal at a friend's house, Jet absentmindedly went "kick, push, coast" across campus on his skateboard. He heard the sirens in the distance and his curiosity got the best of him. Flipping up the board as he came closer, his heart jumped into his throat as he realized the ambulance and fire truck were parked at one of the residence halls.

_Doesn't Katara live there?_ he thought as he ran up to the scene. He stood on a bench, looking at the throng of people from above and trying to make out her face. He searched the group for her, _I'll just confirm that she's alright and head out of here. Our last meeting certainly didn't go as planned and there's no sense in making things worse between us._

He remarked on a long- and dark-haired woman who was embracing a man nearby about a dozen feet away, but figured _it can't possibly be her…_But when he couldn't find her in the crowd, he more closely scrutinized the couple one last time. It was then he recognized her—_she's kissing HIM!_ He thought with renewed fury, gripping his board tightly with white knuckles, _I thought I told him to stay out of my way! _

His chest puffed in anger as he took deep breaths, desperately fighting to stay in control of his emotions, and his eyes went wide as it dawned on him—_what is she doing on a Saturday night with him? _As his epiphany occurred, he recognized the situation for what it was—she had found somebody else. _Remember what she said at the beach? There really wasn't anything to talk about when it came to 'us.' _

While he considered what had transpired between them over the past year, including his infidelity, he still felt the jealousy rise in his throat like bile. _We haven't spoken in months…But the last thing I expected was to be envious of** him**_, he thought, with his eyes wide and eyebrows sharpening into points on his forehead.He momentarily considered whether she had felt the same way when she walked in on him not so long ago. But the thought quickly slipped back into his subconscious as he planned his next move regarding his ex. Stopping himself from confronting the couple, he silently got back on his skateboard and made his way home, the machination of a new approach quickly forming in his mind.

------------------------------------

_I need to breath, now_, she concluded disappointedly. Pulling herself gently away from him, she placed her hands on his chest, absentmindedly licking her lips and realizing _he still tastes like fire flakes…_Looking into his eyes, she remembered that she had initiated their contact. _I wonder what he's thinking right now…Well, he seemed to enjoy it…But was it too forward? Or unexpected?_

Embarrassed enough to blush and not knowing what to say, she looked towards her building—_oh thank you Gods, a way out of this awkward situation!—_and simply garbled out, "Sorry, but I've got to go back inside now." Pushing herself away from him, she quickly turned around—not even giving him a chance to say goodbye—and quickly walked back to her hall, which was now allowing people back inside. When she was sure that he could no longer see her, she broke into a nervous run in an attempt at escaping the people eying her after her 'encounter.'

Standing there staring at her as she left, Zuko didn't know what to make of what had just happened. _What was that? Did she just kiss me? Why'd she run off? She apologized, so there's no way she meant for that to happen, or at least I don't think she planned it that way. But she certainly didn't act like she didn't want it…_

Shaking his head in confusion—_what is it with girls?—_he began to walk through the eerily quiet campus as he made his way home. As he silently trudged on, he occasionally looked up at the full moon, quietly wondering what it was that was going on between him and the girl from the South Pole.

-----------------------------------

Katara practically ran all the way up to her room after their awkward encounter. When she entered, she had to stop herself from slamming the door behind her in frustration. Noticing her book still on the floor, she picked it up and carefully placed it on her desk. As she looked at her desk, she attentively adjusted the framed photo of her with her parents—_before Mom died_. _And what would Mom think about what's going on? I wish she was around to give me advice on things like this…_With a tinge of guilt, she realized that she had already broken the stubborn vow she'd made to herself only a few weeks prior. _One kiss and you forget everything you've worked for! _Another voice purred inside of her, _but it was a kiss worth waiting for!_

She thoughtfully licked her lips in consideration of what had just happened and, tasting the lingering flavor of _him_, she found herself wondering what would've happened if she hadn't left so abruptly. Groaning, she realized that she had only put more fuel on the fire, so to speak, that was her attraction to him. _What is it with you and studying with boys? Why can't you just keep an appropriate distance from him? For the last time, you don't have time for this—whatever this is! _Deep down inside, she knew she was being stubborn, but she still continued her internal argument. _Maybe you should give him a chance? There's no doubt now that he likes you back_, she thought as she remembered his tender kisses.

Throwing herself on her bed, she was surprised to find that it was still a little warm. She clutched the stuffed koala-otter that Zuko had tossed aside earlier and turned over onto her back, staring at the ceiling, willing herself not to think about him. But she found her mind drifting to the feeling of waking in his arms. _It wasn't so bad. In fact, it was nice, _she thought, eyes closed, smiling at the pleasant memoryReluctantly, she realized that she wouldn't mind experiencing it again—_maybe under different, less study-related, circumstances_.

She felt her heart twist a little sickly inside her chest, though, at everything she stood to lose if she made another wrong decision. _This is a slippery slope you're on…_Jumping out of bed, she grabbed her bath items and made her way to the restroom. _Water always helps…In fact, a cold shower just might be in order…_

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Author's Note: I hope that this chapter was worth the wait! The fire alarm idea came from Moor, so I hope I convincingly put it together. And, in case anyone was wondering, the "kick, push, coast" phrase came from an awesome video I saw by Lupe Fiasco. He's a hip-hop artist out of Chicago and the whole video is of skateboarding—it made me nostalgic for the days of being a skate betty.

Anyways, please read and review with any criticism you have. And a BIG thanks to Moor for beta-ing!

22


	11. Chapter 11

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for amusement purposes only—so I hope you're amused!

**Chapter 11**

There were too many interruptions to get any sleep. After the 'incident,' she'd stayed up until almost 3 a.m. And when her alarm went off at 8 a.m., she'd decided to simply ignore it—_there's no point in trying to make it to the pool today_.

Unfortunately, she couldn't ignore the latest in the string of annoyances that was currently vying for her attention.It sounded like a tiny jackhammer—_thump, thump, thump_—as it playfully skipped across the desk. Opening one eye, she traced its movement across the wooden surface. _Should I answer my phone or not? _With a deep sigh of resignation, she propped herself up on her arm as quickly as she could in order to silence the irritating thing. Reaching across to grab the annoying gadget, she rolled onto her back, rubbing her eyes with one hand before examining the caller ID.

"Hello?" Katara queried into the device drowsily, knowing full well who it was.

"Hey, little sis," Sokka's voice boomed over the phone. "Hope I didn't wake you up!"

Pulling it away from her ear ever so slightly, Katara sat up and glanced at the clock, which read 10 a.m.—_he's usually not up this early…_— while thin ribbons of light poured themselves onto her floor from in between the slats of the window blinds.

"Nope, I was just getting up," she said plainly, not wanting to invite the questions that inevitably came with her sleeping in. Like, if she had been out late…and if she had, with whom…and, of course, if it involved a 'him.' Thankfully, her brother didn't vocalize any latent suspicion and instead asked her if she wanted to grab some breakfast with him.

"We can even go to that tea shop you like. What was it called? Oh yeah, DragonsTea!" he exclaimed, simply proud that he had remembered the name.

Recalling the past evening's events, Katara flushed and realized that it was the last place she wanted to be right now. _It's a little too soon and I don't want Sokka to suspect anything, either! Although it would take a supernatural sense of telepathy for him to figure it all out and, let's face it, he isn't the most astute guy to begin with_, she reasoned.

"Uh, why don't we go to Bato's, instead? I am a little homesick," she spoke in needy tones, knowing she'd only have to wait a beat for her brother to accept. _He'd never turn down tigerseal sausage and pancakes at Bato's!_ Luckily, he confirmed her thoughts and, within 30 minutes, was ready and waiting for her in his car outside.

While they drove to the restaurant, Katara thoughtfully gazed out the window as she relived what had transpired the night before. Her eyes glazed over and an almost dreamy look came over her face as she recalled the pleasant sensation of being wrapped in his warm embrace. She pulled herself out of the short-lived reverie when Sokka cleared his throat at a stoplight in an attempt to make small talk.

"So, I was watching the news this morning and they mentioned some fire trucks and an ambulance were called onto campus last night at one of the dorms…" he trailed off, unsure of what had actually happened. He flipped the car's radio channel to the sports network, checking for any hockey-related news.

Katara nearly choked at her brother's comment and struggled to control the strain in her voice when she replied. "Yeah, it was at my dorm. Some idiots were tossing a ball around in the hallway and knocked a sprinkler head off the ceiling. It triggered the fire alarm and we had to evacuate at 1:30 a.m. It was a total drag," she finished, remembering that if not for the forced exodus, she may have been able to wake up with _him _in the morning, as opposed to the angry drone of her cell phone. _Of course, you would have simply walked him out with a modest goodbye, as opposed to something a little more "perky," _a droll voice in her head teased.

"No wonder you sounded so tired this morning—and here I thought you might've spent all night out with some guy or something!" the elder sibling chuckled to himself, somewhat relieved.

Nervously giggling along with him, "Yeah, like I'd spent all night with some guy! It's a good thing I was just studying…Yup, studying all Saturday night…"

Hoping he'd just drop it and not notice her somewhat discomforted behavior, she decided to go into a boring conversation about what was going on with school and her training. _This will keep him distracted… _

When they arrived at their destination, she happily jumped out of the car, glad to be free of the confining space. She just hoped that her brother would believe she was doing better this semester…She certainly felt that she was doing better—_better in class, better in water polo and, well, my love life is certainly better, too!_—she mused with a wide smile.

Watching her brother practically run up to the restaurant, she shouted with a laugh, "I don't think the stewed sea prunes are going anywhere quick Sokka!"

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She flipped through the flashcards hurriedly as she walked to class, the thick edges clipping against her fingertips. While she felt confident that she'd do well, there was still an edge of nervousness. Opening the door the silent classroom, she made her way to her seat. Her eyes momentarily lifted from her note cards and met the amber ones of her partner. Zuko muttered a quick "hello," as he had noticed she was still trying to cram any last detail into her mind.

"Hi," she responded curtly, sitting down in her seat, eyes still tracing the outline of each letter of each word on each card. At this point, she knew she just had to focus and take each question in stride, one at a time. She ignored Zuko thereafter, determinedly. _Test, scholarship, team: Come on, Katara, you've got to ace this!_

While Katara made it through the second round of rote memorization, Professor Wu walked into the room, her right hand enveloping a small manila folder filled with what the students presumed was the exam. Placing her briefcase on her desk, the instructor then turned around and passed out the exam wordlessly. As she handed out the small stack, her voice boomed over the sound of rustling paper as students passed the test back, "You have one hour and 15 minutes to complete the test. Good luck!"

Katara gripped her pencil tightly in her hand as she glanced over the first page. With a sigh of determination, she began bubbling in the answers on her multiple-choice answer sheet. As time wore on, the only sounds in the classroom were those of pencils on paper, the rustling of pages and the methodical ticking of the clock. Her eyes stayed steady on the questions before her, but when she heard her classmates leave their seats to hand in their scoring sheets, she glanced up. After an hour had passed, Zuko rose and turned in his test. Before he left the room, he took one last glance at his classmate, locking eyes with the Water Tribe girl momentarily and mentally wishing her well. He'd walked away as she'd returned to her test.

As the final minutes to complete the exam came to pass, Professor Wu began to pace in front of the remaining students. Checking her answers one last time, Katara took a deep breath and figured _it's now or never_ and grabbed her things, turning in her test wearing a confident grin. As soon as she exited the classroom, however, her smile momentarily wavered as she was surprised to find Zuko waiting for her.

He'd waited five minutes, then ten minutes and, soon, nearly 20 minutes before she emerged from the room wearing a triumphant grin. But when she noticed him lingering outside the classroom, it faltered, making him wonder if it was because she was surprised to see someone waiting for her or if it was simply because it was _him_ standing there.

"How'd you do?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Okay, I think. At least, I don't think I'll be losing my scholarship anytime soon," she continued with a weak smile, moving aside as another student passed by. "How 'bout you, how'd you do?"

"Pretty good I figure…" he trailed off, watching her reaction. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you…"

As the chasm of silence grew between them, Katara took notice of the other students in the hallway waiting for the room to clear in anticipation of their upcoming class. Finally recalling that she had taken nearly the entire time allotted to complete the exam, she realized that she needed to get moving.

As she heard the campus bell tower chime the hour, she hesitated before she spoke, knowing that their conversation would have to be delayed. "Sorry, Zuko—but I have to get to my next class. Can this wait until Wednesday?"

"I'd really like to talk to you now, Katara," he responded earnestly, trying his best to not sound annoyed with her. _Is she trying to avoid talking to me after what happened?_

Looking at him sincerely, she replied, "I know we need to talk, Zuko, but I can't be late to my next class, okay? I promise we can talk on Wednesday…I'm pretty sure it can wait 48 hours." Not waiting for his reply, she beamed a genuine smile at him before saying "thanks." In moments, she turned and exited the building with long, purposeful strides.

Speaking to no one in particular, Zuko ran his hand through his shaggy hair and belatedly answered the brunette's question, "Yeah, it can wait…"

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He was picking at his food with his chopsticks, his mind fumbling for the solution for _whatever it was that was going on _between him and his classmate.

At first, Iroh thought the boy wasn't hungry, or maybe he was bored, but after some thoughtful observation he noticed that something specific was perturbing his nephew. Knowing full well Zuko wasn't going to divulge any information of his own free will, Iroh spoke first, "How was your day, Zuko?"

"Fine," he muttered monosyllabically, as he pushed the small pile across his plate once more.

"Then what are you so concerned with—you seem to be thinking deeply about something," the older gentleman remarked.

"It's nothing, Uncle," he said dryly, holding his gaze steady on his plate.

"Is it about a girl?" Iroh asked blindly, hoping his assumption was correct. Noticing the young man across from him shift uncomfortably in his seat—the action confirming his guess—he continued with a knowing grin, "I know a thing or two about women, Nephew. You know I was _quite_ the ladies' man in my day. If you want some advice, I'd be more than happy to provide it."

Grimacing at the thought of his uncle as a romancer of women, he pushed away from the table and excused himself. "Thanks, but no thanks, Uncle." Placing his dishes in the sink, he walked towards his room.

Knowing that his nephew wasn't one to talk—_especially about women_—he simply called out, "Is it Katara? Talk to her—it usually smoothes things over when you speak with them."

The only reply Iroh received in response was the quiet sound of Zuko's bedroom door clicking shut as he momentarily considered his uncle's words.

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As she sat in her usual seat listening to Professor Wu address the class regarding the exam results, she felt _his _look on her from time to time. While she didn't mind his intermittent staring—in fact, she liked it at first— his near-constant gaze began to make her slightly uncomfortable as the class continued. She'd noticed his glances her way from the corner of her eye and she tried her best to ignore him, telling herself they'd already arranged to talk after class anyway. The only thing she cared about right now was her grade. Silently chanting in her mind, she mentally pleaded _please give back our tests, please give back our tests, please give back our tests._

Soon enough, her prayer was answered when Professor Wu realized her students were staring at the sheaf of papers in her hands instead of her face and dutifully distributed the exams. Nervous energy filling her veins, Katara practically snatched the graded test from Professor Wu's fingertips. With some trepidation, she scanned the sheet for her grade. Eying an "A" in red ink, she let out the breath she'd been holding. Finishing the exam review, the gray-haired woman bid them farewell and dismissed them, following the exodus herself a moment later.

Practically skipping out of the classroom in her good humor, Katara instead steadied herself when she noticed her partner was waiting patiently next to her. _Oh yeah, I almost forgot, we've got to 'talk.' No sense in keeping my good grade to myself, though. I mean he did help in some way with studying—that is until we both fell asleep in each other's arms…_"I got an 'A,' Zuko! How'd you do?"

"'B'-plus," he replied offhand. He fell into step beside her, refusing to let her go just yet. "Do you mind if I walk you to class?" he asked cautiously, swinging his backpack over his shoulder.

_Looks like it's time to face the music…and figure out what's going on—if anything—between us._ "Of course not. What's up?" she asked as they exited the classroom, knowing full well what was "up" and desperately hoping to hide her apprehension.

"Well, about Saturday night, what happened—" he started, but Katara cut him off when she thought she recognized an apologetic tone to his voice. Facing him, she kept smiling as she spoke, too quickly, too rushed.

"I'm really sorry about how things ended that night, Zuko. I'm sorry I fell asleep, I'm sorry I kissed you," she continued, the false confession tumbling out of her mouth like word vomit as she walked along, refusing to make eye contact with him.

When she started apologizing, Zuko felt his need to resolve the issue grow, and he resigned himself to having to take control of the situation. _Is she really that sorry about what happened? Because if I remember correctly, she seemed to like it…_Placing his hand on her shoulder and pivoting around her, he stood directly in front of her.

"Stop apologizing, Katara. I liked spending time with you…And I'd like to spend more time with you…I enjoyed being close to you and I'd like the opportunity to spend that kind of time with you while I'm actually awake," he joked in hopes of taking the edge of off his somewhat serious confession.

At this point, he paused in an attempt to gauge her reaction, amber eyes meeting cerulean ones. When he saw the blush rise to her cheeks, he let go of the last thread of nervousness that hung in his mind and slowly let his hand slide down her arm to her hand. He ran his thumb gently across her knuckles and saw her eyes momentarily flicker in recognition of the intimate gesture. _Hah! I knew it! _he thought triumphantly.

"Do you want to go out and, uh, do an activity sometime?" he blurted out.

"You mean, like a date?" she teased coquettishly, glad to hear he enjoyed their "study session." _Although it could have been just as interesting had we stayed in the library…_The image of a naked Zuko, parts of him unseen behind a strategically placed stack of books, momentarily flashed through her mind.

"Yes, like a date. Maybe dinner and a movie or something on Saturday?" he said with a little exasperation. _What did she think I meant, like another study session or a doctor's appointment? _While he spoke, he still couldn't let go of her hand and he felt her casually thread her fingers through his.

"Okay, just call me sometime Saturday, alright?" The wink she gave him startled him—in an all too wonderful way. However, he refused to give in and show his relief.

"Okay." _That was remarkably easy—see there's nothing to this 'romancing women' stuff! And Uncle thought I needed help…_

With that Katara squeezed his hand and motioned to the building behind him with her other hand. "I've got to get to class." She started to walk away, but as an afterthought, she quickly got on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly, her lips barely grazing his. Pulling away from him slightly, her warm breath caressed his mouth as she whispered assuredly, "See you then…" In moments, she dropped back down onto her heels and turned away from him.

"See you…" he smiled and waved as she walked away. _Looks like things are working out in my favor for once_, he thought with a smirk as he hurried to his next class.

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After her last class, Katara headed back to her res hall and reflected on just how well her day had proceeded: _good test, good meeting with Zuko, good_… She blushed and hid a smirk of her own at the book-related daydream that floated back to her.

As she walked along in the cooling autumn air, watching as the orange and red leaves fell from the towering oaks that lined the sidewalk, her phone began to buzz. Hoping it was Suki letting her know that she got back to town safely _or maybe it was Zuko_, she was instead surprised—actually, shocked—to see that she had received a text message from Jet. It simply read:

**Im sorry Plz call me**

Recalling his aggressive behavior at Lake Laogai a few weeks ago, she deleted it and hoped it was a one-time thing. _He should be sorry—sorry for the way he treated me **again**. But I'll just ignore him—we'll see how he likes that! _And ignore him she did, until he texted her again several hours later. And again, she ignored it.

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It was a lazy Friday afternoon and Katara was trying her best to read through her biology notes as she patiently waited for Suki to return from class. Unfortunately, the Water Tribe girl thought she was going crazy from listening to the buzzing noise emitting from her phone every few hours. Gritting her teeth, she still faithfully checked the small screen, although she already knew the message's sender.

"What is his problem?" she hissed at the small device, as if it could provide some kind of satisfactory answer. Resigning herself to having to deal with him sooner or later, she decided to finally call him back—and if possible, give him a sizeable piece of her mind about personal space and privacy, not to mention how being an electronic stalker was simply _not cool_.

As she hit the "call" button, she took a deep breath, girding herself for whatever Jet had to say.

After ringing a couple of times, he finally picked up. "Hey Katara. Thanks for calling me back—"

"Just make it quick, Jet, and say whatever it is you have to say," she impatiently interrupted. _The more I talk to you, the more I'll think about us…and what happened…_

"Well, I think it would be better if we met in person—I'd really like to apologize to you in person."

She anxiously paced along the length of her small dorm room, while one of her hands absently rubbed her temple. "Look, Jet, I don't know what you want, but we're done okay? There's nothing left to discuss, so just drop it and stop calling me"

"Fine, just meet me, one last time, so I can just say my piece. After that, I promise I won't bother you again." He knew she was at least considering it because she took a thoughtful pause before responding. _Just say yes, Katara…_

_So, he wants to apologize. Maybe he finally feels some remorse for what he did last semester…maybe he wants to apologize for what he did a couple of weeks ago…maybe he's changed?_ She felt her heart twist as her mind quickly reminded her of his past actions and behavior. _Wait a second—I can't let him fool me again with his false sincerity. Just meet him up—go in and get out, nice and clean. I certainly don't need him—I never really did. Not to mention I have a good thing going with someone far better, too. Time to get the literal and proverbial monkey off my back, once and for all! _

The mental image of violently beating her toothpick-chewing ex from her life with her father's antique whale bone club immediately cheered her and she grinned faintly as she replied. "Okay…are you free right now? I just want to get this over with."

_Nice, she's in a good mood, too. This'll be even better._ Smiling into the phone, his voice took on its characteristic smoothness and charm. _Time to execute this plan…_ "Well, I was thinking we could meet up at DragonsTea, say about 3 p.m.?"

Sighing into the phone, she acquiesced and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, I'll see you there at 3 then." With that, she hung up and thought _well, if he gets out of hand again, at least Zuko or Iroh will be there…_

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It was business as usual at DragonsTea, at least for a Friday. As he mindlessly wiped down and bussed tables, Zuko thought about his upcoming date with Katara. Iroh had already given him permission to use the car that night after the old man attempted—between healthy chuckles, of course—to give Zuko the third degree about why he needed the car and if it involved that nice girl from the South Pole. Once Zuko confirmed his uncle's suspicions, the old man freely offered his dating advice, advising Zuko on the finer points of how to treat "a nice young lady."

He recalled how he'd groused at his uncle's antiquated notions and instead thought on the order of the evening's events. _Should we go to dinner before or after the movie? And what movie should we see? Should I let her choose?_

Shaking his head and letting out a small groan of frustration—_I thought things were supposed to get **less** complicated between us, not more_—he picked up the small plastic bin and rag he'd been using and returned them to their station behind the tea shop's counter.

As he stood there contemplating the possibilities for Saturday night, he noticed a customer walking up the pathway to the front door. As his gaze rose to make eye contact, he forced a tight smile as he recognized him. _Great, it's Jet—just what you needed, your new girlfriend's ex is walking up, stupid toothpick in his mouth, no less. _Another voice quickly criticezed his description of the young woman he was _yet_ to even go out on a date with, _she's not even your girlfriend—at least not at the moment._

"Hey—it's Zuko, right?" the lanky, bushy-haired young man asked, knowing full well that it was indeed the counter attendant's name.

"Yeah," he replied coolly. "What can I get for you Jet?"

"I think I'll wait a couple of minutes before ordering—I'm supposed to be meeting Katara for a little afternoon snack," he said, indirectly leering at Zuko while he pretended to look over the menu on the wall.

Careful not to show any emotion, Zuko's face was a cool, calm and collected mask. _What's Katara doing meeting this guy? I thought she didn't want anything to do with him…Then again, he could just be full of crap._ _Let's see what else he has to say…_

"You two meeting up for a class or something?" Zuko asked as simply as he could while he feigned checking the jars of tea for refilling.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jet queried in low tones. "Sorry, but I'm afraid that's between me and Katara," Jet replied nonchalantly as he toyed with the toothpick in his mouth. Leaning across the counter he continued, "Besides, I think you were the one that pointed out she could talk to whoever she wanted."

_Shit—he's got me there… _Unwilling to concede, Zuko simply busied himself with some other small task behind the counter. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to tear himself from the increasingly irritating presence of the young man who was doing his best to push any and all of Zuko's buttons.

Sensing that his target behind the counter wasn't taking the bait—_not yet, at least_—Jet continued as he sauntered towards the bulletin board near the front door, "She's such a _sweet_ _girl_ you know, so trusting and all. Not to mention that body of hers—I mean, I thought she looked good last year, but she certainly filled out in all the right places over the summer…" He paused deliberately, relishing the attention the other man paid him.

"It's too bad she's so intent on fixing people—she's what I call the 'fixer-upper' type."

Trying to ignore Jet despite his curiosity, Zuko asked, his eyes thinning in suspicion, "'Fixer-upper,' huh? Good for her." _You probably gave her plenty of work to do._

Sensing that the conversation was headed in the "right" direction, or at least the direction he wanted it to go in, Jet continued, his body blocking the doorway as he spoke, "You know she fixes whatever she thinks is wrong with you and, as soon as she's done with you, she tosses you to the curb—just like trash in the Lower Tier."

Jet ended his little monologue with a smile, hearing small footsteps approaching him—_if nothing else, I can always count on you to be on time, Katara_, he thought with a smirk.

_You would know all about trash in the Lower Tier, huh, Jet?_ Body tensed and pissed off by everything Jet had said so far, Zuko couldn't stop himself from uttering his reply, "If you're any example, then everyone must be trash in the Lower Tier!"

_Bingo—he takes the bait hook, line and sinker! And just in time, too—I amaze myself sometimes…_Moving from the doorway, Jet's face contorted quickly as he faked being surprised by what he heard. But before he could retort, someone else cut in.

"Excuse me, but what did you just say, Zuko?" asked Katara in clipped tones, appearing from behind Jet as her eyes turned into slits and her hands balled into fists at her side. "Because I'm really hoping that I didn't just hear you call people in the Lower Tier _trash_," she ground out through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry to say it, but I think that's _exactly_ what he just said, Katara," Jet answered quickly, eagerly fueling the fire.

_Oh shit—she volunteers in the Lower Tier doesn't she? _Zuko felt his frustration at the misunderstanding overflow in anger directed at Katara. _How could she believe something like that when her fucking manipulative, crazy ex-boyfriend is standing right there! Is she stupid or something?!? Can't she see it was a set-up?_

"Katara, listen to me. That's not what I meant—he put words in my mouth!" Zuko shouted at her as she stormed out of the tea shop. Pulling off his apron and following her through the patio area, he unsuccessfully attempted to apologize to her. Sputtering words at her like a sprinkler head, he continued, "He tricked me into saying that—I don't think people in the Lower Tier are trash _at all_! He's just a jerk…"

Pivoting back to face him, she stood inches from his face and poked him squarely in the chest, her face a tight mask of fury.

Starting in a dangerously low whisper, her voice held absolutely no room for negotiation. "You're full of _shit_, Zuko—I don't care _what _Jet said. All I know is what I heard and there is no way you're coming up with a good enough _excuse _for calling people trash! You showed your true colors—you really are that jerk I met that first day at the bookstore. So thanks, I'm _so _glad I know that now. It saves me a lot of trouble. We'll complete our assignment and then I hope I _never_ have to speak with you again."

With that, she turned from him quickly, her hair whipping past him as she walked towards campus, willing herself not to scream in frustration. _I CAN'T believe he said that…what kind of person calls people trash? ASSHOLE…_

"And, in case you're wondering, you can just forget about seeing me tomorrow night!" She threw back at him as a parting shot. _Just in case it wasn't clear to him._

As Katara walked away, Jet stood there, all too pleased with himself. Realizing that his plan was a success caused the corner of his mouth to curl upwards as he rubbed his hands in satisfaction of a job well done.

Zuko watched her leave, realizing that there was no placating her for the time being. Standing there, he heard someone begin to lightly applaud behind him. When he turned, he saw the skateboarder-cum-lead singer clapping.

"That went off even better than I thought it would—and to think, you would've had a nice little date tomorrow night if I hadn't intervened. What a shame…Anyways, I think my work here is done," Jet stretched, picking up his book bag from the bench he'd settled it on when he'd first arrived. "Maybe next time you should listen when someone tells you to keep your little fucking nose out of their business," he ended with a mocking tone. Breaking out his skateboard, he glided away with a small salute and a self-satisfied grin as he attempted to catch up with the angry Water Tribe girl.

Somewhat dumbfounded about what had just transpired, Zuko stood there and reviewed the scene in his mind. _He was trying to goad you the entire time, waiting for her to arrive. Hell, you even knew she was showing up to see him—why'd you fall for it? Besides, Jet's completely wrong—you're not a 'fix-it' project and Katara's not really like that. _

…_And if he's any example, she obviously did a shitty job of trying to fix him, _retorted part of his psyche._ You'll just have to talk to her and try to make things right…_

-----------------------------------

She almost didn't hear the sound as she strode away—the sound of tiny wheels clicking along the sidewalk, that is—until she remembered her original purpose for showing up at DragonsTea. _Oh yeah, I was supposed to meet Jet there…_

Pausing and looking over her shoulder, she saw him rolling up to her. Still seething from her encounter with Zuko, she willed herself to relax, begging her tense muscles to loosen up.

"You alright, Katara? That was some scene back there, huh?" Jet queried innocently.

"I'm fine, Jet. Did you still want to talk? Because I'm not really feeling up to it right now, if that's okay with you," the blue-eyed girl responded, desperate to escape anything having to do with guys. "Could we try some other time?"

"No, it's cool, we can catch up later. Are you busy this weekend? Maybe we can talk then," he replied, already more than satisfied with how the day's events had erupted.

"Yeah, I'll call you sometime tomorrow or Sunday, 'kay?" She offered, grateful he was backing off for once instead of pushing.

"Okay, talk to you then," he ended with a friendly smile before hopping back on his board and leaving.

Waving at him as he left, Katara silently realized that Jet had become the better guy in all of this and Zuko had resorted to being the jerk again.

Her brow furrowed. _Sokka was right, guys are nothing but trouble…_

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Author's Note: This chapter is shorter than most, but I needed to leave this on a particular note in anticipation of chapter 12. Only a couple more chapters left before this little story ends—hope you're still enjoying it and we'll get down to the "real nitty gritty" soon!


	12. Chapter 12

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for amusement purposes only—so I hope you're amused!

**Chapter 12**

Several phrases describing her classmate, along with more "colorful" commentary, came to Katara's mind as she stormed across campus: _thoughtless jerk, complete asshole _and _unsympathetic idiot_ flashed through her brain, along with appropriate accompanying mental images. It was like a demented slideshow run amok.

Soon enough, Katara stomped into her dorm room, slamming the door behind her. She had a somewhat crazed look to her and Suki immediately took in her friend's tense posture with apprehension—and curiosity. Her usually well-coiffed (at least in public) wavy brown locks were unkempt and there was a hint of crow's feet at her temples and a vein throbbing dangerously on her forehead that made Katara look as if she'd aged five years within the span of hours. To put it mildly, she was _not _a pretty picture.

"Hey Katara, what's up?" the older girl asked cautiously as she pulled her headphones off. _Brace yourself—Sokka mentioned she has a tendency to "lose it" when she gets upset._

"Well, besides meeting up with Jet and finding out that Zuko's a complete _ass_, nothing," the blue-eyed girl replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She kicked her shoes off angrily—and felt vindicated at the satisfying 'thwack' that resulted when they made contact with the opposite wall. _Stupid Zuko—I should have kicked __**you**__How dare you compare people from the Lower Tier to trash? I can't believe I didn't see it before…_

Tossing her magazine onto her desk and rising from her spot on the bed, Suki threw a serious look at her roommate. "I thought you were ignoring Jet and planning on going out with Zuko tomorrow night…" At the mention of Jet's name, warning bells started ringing in Suki's head. "What happened in the two hours since I left for class, K?" she finished suspiciously, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed in front of her, hoping to convey that she was willing to listen to whatever was perturbing her roommate.

_I can't believe I liked him so much and never even realized that he thought… _Katara's anger ebbed slightly as she felt shame and humiliation surface momentarily, reminding her of her past year's efforts to forget about another betrayal. She quickly swallowed her chagrin and once again grabbed hold of her anger—at this point, it was the more stable of the two emotions. Her anger would keep her head on straight—it would keep her strong; it would get her back on track. It would… _it would stop me from hurting so much_, she prayed.

As she spoke, Katara looked down at her nervous fingers, tracing their movement with her eyes and avoiding her roommate's considerate stare. Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself onto her bed and the tension she held gradually uncoiled in the quiet room. She sat there a moment as she collected her thoughts, eventually relaying the rest of the events from that afternoon to the other girl. As her words and anger ran out of steam, Katara found herself feeling pleasantly relieved and liberated in venting and sharing the story with Suki.

While listening to Katara's explanation of the afternoon's events, Suki's look had progressively darkened. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it—her roommate had not yet noticed her expression. Hoping to enlighten the girl, as opposed to making her even more emotional, she measured her words carefully before she next spoke.

"Wow, Katara, that's something... So, you told Jet you'd meet him for a quick conversation and, instead of talking to him, you overhear Zuko making some stupid remark and storm out of there breathing fire…" Suki paused a moment as she made the connections Katara had so obviously missed. She looked hopefully at the Water Tribe girl before continuing, remarking seriously, "Don't you think you overreacted a little?"

"Are you taking _his _side Suki?" Katara immediately asked in surprise. _She's supposed to be my friend and agree with me that Zuko was being a jerk! _However, Katara's near-dead voice of reason made a half-hearted effort to get her attention._ Then again, she's your teammate and your roommate—maybe there's something more to what she has to say…_she momentarily considered before Suki responded.

"Katara—listen to yourself!" Suki yelled back in frustration, punctuating her remark with a strong bang on the desk with the bottom of her clenched fist. Katara, too surprised at her friend's blunt reaction to answer, stared at her in wonder.

In a much more gentle voice, Suki took a deep breath and continued, "All I'm suggesting is that you look at this from both sides. You and Zuko have come _so_ far—and you admitted yourself you like him, that you like him a lot! Doesn't he deserve a chance to explain himself? To apologize? And where the hell does Jet come into things again? We both know that jerk isn't the 'Mr. Nice Guy'-type," she replied, silently recalling the stories from Sokka, which she knew may or may not have been entirely true. Though, they'd been enough to instill a healthy level of 'awareness' in her towards the persistent lead vocalist. "Look, just… Don't let one comment, no matter how bad, ruin a good thing. I mean, if I snapped at every little stupid thing your brother said, well, let's just say I would've stopped seeing your brother a long time ago," she said with a considerate smile.

"Besides, you were happy—really happy—with Zuko. He made a mistake—but are you sure you don't want to give him a chance to explain?"

Realizing there was at least a grain of truth to Suki's words, Katara relinquished some of her anger. The pain she'd been ignoring floated up to match it, but she pushed it down again as she reconsidered her friend's calm, clear-headed voice. Trying to imagine the reasoning behind his comment, she silently questioned his motives. _Zuko, why did you say that? Why did you __**have**__ to say that? Do you know how much I was looking forward to tomorrow night?_

Katara's hands clutched the soft comforter underneath her as her anger fluctuated between her warring thoughts. "Let's just say that _hypothetically_ you have a point. So, why would Jet get him to say something like that?" the tanned girl queried, a bad feeling gnawing at the pit of her stomach.

"Seriously, Katara? You don't know why Jet would be acting that way?" Noticing the blank stare that engulfed her teammate's face, Suki fought the nearly overwhelming urge to smack herself on the forehead. _You're normally such a smart girl, Katara—why did you choose __**today **__to go dense?_ _You're gonna owe me for the headache you're giving me right now—this just better be worth it!_

Suki continued patiently, careful to hide the frustration in her voice, "Well, let's start with the fact that you're his ex-girlfriend and you've finally moved on—to someone far better, who isn't him. Not to mention, you've been incredibly happy—to the point where you don't even think about your dumbass prick of an ex anymore." Counting on her fingers, she continued, "And, when someone's happy, well, let's see here—they're confident, they're successful, they're sexy…_Gee, I wonder what ever could Jet have been thinking? _…Oh, and he's probably realized the _big_ mistake he made—how's that for starters?" she finished, throwing her hands in the air as she flopped onto her bed.

While Katara should've already known everything that Suki had just listed, she was still surprised. _Jet's trying to win me back? No way—nothing he could say or do would make me take him back_. However, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered shyly, _but what if he has changed…What if it could work?_

Thankfully, the momentary thought lapsed and raced from her mind like a spooked rabbaroo with a predator on its tail—a predator with a mysterious scar and hungry gold eyes.

Shaking her head at the odd mental image, she flashed a look at her roommate that signaled the conversation was over. Grabbing her gym bag, she said, "I need to clear my head. I'm heading to the pool."

However, before she exited their room, she paused and smiled at her friend in gratitude for the reality check and patient ear. "Wanna join me?"

_Thank you, Suki._

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By the time Zuko got home, he had had some time to think about his predicament—and he wanted to tear his hair out in frustration at the stupid mistake he'd made earlier that day. It was almost like he was destined to make similar blunders all his life and that, no matter how hard he tried, he would only continue to screw up the relationships between himself and others. It was beginning to feel like Agni himself had fated him to be surrounded by only his uncle all his life. He dejectedly groaned at the thought. Even with all the time he spent mulling over his situation, he still had a major problem—he couldn't think of any way to make things right between himself and his girlfriend.

_Classmate_, he corrected himself bitterly, his jaw clenching. _Can't forget that there's no "real" relationship between you two now—Jet made sure of that in spectacularly humiliating fashion. _

Walking inside, he stopped himself short of slamming the front door in frustration. Iroh would know something was wrong and then proceed to ask him question after question about it—and he was not in the mood for questions, pai sho, or, heaven forbid, any damned 'calming' tea.

He tried to quietly make it to his room, only to be caught in the act by Iroh as he sat in the front room watching the news.

"Ah, Zuko, how were things today? Not too busy, I hope," the old man said cordially, but nonetheless catching the tell-tale signs of an angry Zuko. Iroh had seen enough of those types of signals during his nephew's tumultuous teenage years; there was no way he could miss any of the obvious and glaring reminders his nephew was currently displaying.

"Things were fine, Uncle," the young man replied quickly. As Zuko was about to turn towards the hall, he realized that he should make mention of his now-changed weekend plans. "Oh, and, by the way, I won't need the car tomorrow night."

"I thought you had a date with Katara. Is she feeling ill?" the grey-bearded man queried with concern, honestly worried about the girl's health, but also wondering if the change in plans had instigated the grim look on his nephew's face.

"She cancelled. Something else came up," Zuko awkwardly lied, hoping that his uncle would drop it. He was in absolutely no mood to talk about what had really happened between him and his partner.

_I swear, Jet, if I ever get the chance in the future, I'll…_His hand gripped the straps of his backpack with a white-knuckled ferocity, and he stilled, trying to calm himself._ I either need to spar or meditate. And, since Uncle is not what I would call a "suitable" sparring partner—considering all I want to do is take out my frustrations on someone else; I should go meditate—this much anger can't be healthy. _Pinching the bridge of his nose, he realized that that was exactly something Iroh would say. _Now I'm turning into my 60-year-old tea-drinking uncle—and I thought the day couldn't get any worse._

As he released a small sigh, he couldn't help but envision Katara's smile and shining eyes. As the pleasant image popped into his mind, he felt his chest tighten before the picture faded away to gray. He was left staring at the wall in front of him. He blinked before rubbing his face, his shoulders still stiff from his self-loathing and frustration.

_I really did it this time_, he realized, his mouth dry as a throbbing pain invaded his temples. _I screwed up. I really screwed up. Again. _"Do you need me for anything, Uncle?" he asked politely, his voice tired and raw.

Furrowing his brow, Iroh knew that his nephew wasn't being entirely truthful about his date, but he decided to not push the issue with him. He instead hoped that Zuko would divulge the information when he was ready. "Not right now, Nephew. Just let me know if anything changes," he said quietly, his voice tinged with concern.

"Okay. Good night," the young man replied somewhat despondently as he headed towards his room.

"Good night, Zuko," Iroh replied, his attention returning to the television as he thoughtfully stroked his beard.

---------------------------------------

The pool had soothed Katara's nerves considerably on Friday, providing her the much-needed time to consider the situation and review her conversation with Suki. But, she was still unsure of what her next move should be, if anything, with either Jet or Zuko.

When she woke up on Saturday morning, she found herself slightly agitated as she had dreamed about Zuko. There wasn't anything remotely sexual about the dream—in fact, it would've been easier for her to deal with it if it was. She could just write it off as hormones or simple sexual frustration. But, no, that's not what this dream was about.

Interestingly enough, the dream itself was simply mundane. In it, they were playing pai sho against each other, with different people interrupting them throughout the game. First, it was just her friends, Aang and Toph, then her brother and Suki. At one point, Professor Wu and Iroh broke in, but they quickly left.

The last visitor, and the most peculiar one, was the Blue Spirit. There was nothing that really identified him as such, but intrinsically, Katara knew it was him. Without saying a word, he took the game board and tipped it over violently, sending small tiles flying about the non-descript room. As Katara was about to shout at him for disrupting her match, she realized Zuko had disappeared. As she frantically scanned the room for his presence, her eyes fluttered open, blinking as they adjusted to the sudden burst of light. Her alarm went off a moment later, reinforcing that it was time to wake up.

As her mind brought itself to consciousness, she threw herself back on the bed and pondered the odd dream she'd just had. Believing it to be nothing but nonsense, she shrugged her shoulders and got out of bed, ready to start her day.

Smiling at the interruption of the masked figure in her dream, she realized she hadn't messaged **bluspirit** in some time and should check in with him. _Maybe I'll talk to him tonight. It'll be fun. I like chatting with him. At least __**he's**__ not a jerk who makes insensitive and disparaging remarks about the Lower Tier._

She sighed a bit in frustration, recognizing how much she'd been looking forward to her night with Zuko, that is, until yesterday's "situation." _Seeing as how my schedule is free and all now_, she thought sarcastically, _I guess I really __**am**__ able to talk to whatever guy I want. Shit, I could talk to a freaking jar of pickled sea prunes if it struck my fancy._

Katara marched resolutely towards the bathroom for her morning shower, determined to have a good day or die trying. Hell, at this point, it was all she had to look forward to.

----------------------------------------- 

Katara stared at the DVDs in the bookcase, trying to pick something that would take her mind off of what she _could_ have been doing with her Saturday night. As she stood there, a random image of a barely dressed Zuko passed through her mind…for what must have been the tenth time that evening. Shaking it off in frustration, she randomly picked a movie and placed it in the DVD player.

_Stop thinking about him, he's just a thoughtless jerk…_Of course, another smaller voice popped in hopefully, _but you could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time you were wrong about a guy, you know…_

Flopping onto her bed, she tried her best to stay focused on the film, "The Cave of Two Lovers," that told the story of forbidden love between Oma and Shu. Unfortunately, the movie only reminded her of her situation and Suki's words in defense of Zuko. _What if she's right? What if Jet was just trying to trick Zuko into saying something stupid? Maybe I should hear him out, at least hear his side of the story…_

Realizing that she was getting nowhere fast in trying to resolve the issue, she considered the option of possibly talking to someone else about it.

_But who? _

She certainly couldn't talk to Sokka about it—he would just start flipping out about how all men were going to break her heart; nor could she talk to Toph or Aang about it—they were simply too young, she thought, her mind recalling their creative sand sculptures several weeks prior. Then she remembered her dream from that morning and knew exactly who to talk to—_he_ would be able to give her some friendly advice from a male perspective.

Picking up her laptop and quickly signing on, she mentally crossed her fingers that **bluspirit **was online. Lucky for her, he was.

----------------------------------------

He'd sat there all night waiting for the familiar "ding." He just really hoped that she was lonely and bored enough to message his alter ego.

Reading through another old issue of the Blue Spirit comic book, Zuko grew impatient and his mind began to wander. _What if she found something else to do tonight? What if she ended up going out with Jet?_ Mentally grimacing at the thought, he quickly decided to dismiss it, realizing that there was no point in worrying himself about whatever she might be doing that evening…even if it might be with her ex. Besides, there was nothing between him and his classmate from the South Pole—they weren't officially dating or seeing each other—except for a burgeoning attraction. _Not to mention the daydreams of her in that bikini, impromptu kissing and the accidental sleepover…Nope, absolutely nothing 'official' about that_, he reminded himself in sarcasm.

Soon enough, he was honored with the sound he was waiting for. Practically throwing the forgotten comic book down, he gingerly lifted the computer to his lap and eagerly read the note.

**h2opologurl: hows it goin?**

Knowing this was probably the best opportunity he'd have to covertly defend himself and his actions, he feigned having a lack of problems. In a sudden feeling of triumph, he felt like he had won some kind of an award—talking to Katara again certainly felt like one—because his plan was genius, pure and simple genius. Grinning in self-satisfaction, he responded:

**bluspirit: things are good. how are you?**

**h2opologurl: ok, had a tough week**

When she mentioned her tough week, Zuko thought he knew exactly what she meant. But, of course, **bluspirit** couldn't know, so he thoughtfully asked her to tell him about it.

As she typed out her response, he could practically hear her sighing in the background as she relayed to him the story regarding the guy she "really liked." But as he read her messages popping onto the screen, Zuko couldn't help but be distracted by her descriptions of him.

_Why does she make it sound like there's something innately wrong with me? Maybe Jet was right about the whole "fixer-upper" thing?_

As he continued reading her commentary, he felt himself grow more and more agitated with her descriptions of him. She said he was "moody and angsty," and another time she described him as "thoughtless" and "inconsiderate." By the time she finished, Zuko was glad he wouldn't have to read another word about what she really thought of him. Asking him for some advice, Zuko couldn't keep his opinion to himself any longer.

Without a moment's reflection, he quickly typed back:

**bluspirit: really sounds like you're trying to fix him—if he's so warped, is it worth your time? you should stop being a mother arctic hen. not everyone needs or wants that kind of help.**

The minute Zuko hit 'send,' he realized he had revealed too much and quickly threw the palm of his hand to his forehead with a loud "smack." _Why did I have to mention the 'mother arctic hen' thing?_ he mentally berated himself and hoped that she wouldn't notice his slip.

----------------------------------

Katara had spent the past few minutes relaying as many details to **bluspirit** as she could, hoping that he would provide her with the advice she so desperately sought. She tried to be as descriptive as possible, hoping that it would provide her electronic pen pal with additional insight. When he eventually replied, however, she was surprised at his negative tone. Not to mention, he also called her a "mother arctic hen."

Her first reaction was anger—_I am __**not **__a mother arctic hen_. Reconsidering the thought, she admitted to herself that it was _somewhat _true. _Alright, maybe I am a mother arctic hen…I mean it isn't the first time I've been called that. But why does he make it sound so…horrible? _But then she realized something—she barely knew anyone that used that term, especially in Ba Sing Se. _Only Water Tribe people say that. How would __**bluspirit**__ know it? He's not Water Tribe…at least, he's never mentioned it…_

Thinking to herself, she realized that the last time she heard the term was when she was talking to Zuko in the library, weeks ago. Shaking the pleasant memory of her studying time with him from her mind, she returned her attention to the glowing computer screen before her. She re-read his response and felt herself grow increasingly bothered by what he had said. She decided to avoid any more unwanted advice until she figured a few things out.

**h2opologurl: im not trying 2 fix any1—ppl r fine the way they r. specially the guy i thought i liked. thanx 4 the advice neway. nite.**

She signed off, shutting her laptop. She realized she was no closer to dealing with the men in her life than she was an hour ago. Instead of thinking on it further for the evening, she restarted "The Cave of Two Lovers."

She fell asleep towards the end, hearing the words "trust in love" before she dozed off.

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The sun shone brightly through the window's blinds the next morning as Katara finally rose from bed. She stretched her arms and extended her legs, wiggling her digits as she yawned herself awake. She looked over to her roommate's side of the room and found Suki's bed slept in, but empty. _Swear to Gods, that girl runs on sunlight_, she sleepily thought to herself. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to go through her tai chi forms in hopes of focusing her mind on the day's tasks.

As she cycled through another motion, a familiar figure strode through the door, clutching a full laundry basket to her hip. Smiling at her, Katara finished one last form before abandoning her practice.

"Good morning, Katara," Suki said with a grin as she dumped the laundry onto her bed. Sorting through the articles, she continued the conversation, "I hope you don't mind, but I washed some of the towels in your laundry basket since I had some spare room in my last load—I'll leave them on your bed." After yesterday's interaction, Suki simply hoped that her roommate would recognize that all she was trying to do was help. Despite being at BSSU for some time, Suki still felt the social stigma of being the "new girl" and she wanted to make sure she hadn't fractured her friendship with her teammate.

"That's nice of you, Suki. Thanks. I'm going to head out to grab some food. Wanna join me?"

"No, I'm good. Are you heading out to the pool later?"

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you then," Katara replied as she headed downstairs. As she walked through the stairwell, she belatedly remembered that she was yet to finish her conversation with Jet. Inwardly groaning, she vowed to call him after her breakfast. She knew she'd need her strength to deal with whatever it was Jet was trying to pull…

---------------------------------

Katara certainly wasn't returning to the tea shop to meet with Jet, she knew that much. She wanted to meet somewhere public, somewhere on or near campus.

So how did she end up outside the library? She looked up at the building with some trepidation, realizing that it was a _very bad idea _to be at the library alone with Jet, and she prayed she wouldn't earn a matching reputation as some kind of a "book whore." She blushed as she remembered that night, practically a year ago:

_It was finals week during the fall semester. They were studying at the library—or at least, that's what their original intention was—late on a Tuesday night. One minute they were reading through their textbooks and the next, they were greedily exploring each other, tongues tangled and mouths gasping for air. She'd ended up straddling his lap, his hand slowly trailing up her shirt when Mr. Zei walked in on them. She had been so surprised that she fell off Jet, only to compound her embarrassment when she bumped her head on the table when she tried to get up. She briefly muttered something about needing to get home before grabbing her things and running out of the library before Jet could even explain what was happening. _

From that moment on, of course, she had had to deal with Mr. Zei's knowing looks every time she went to the library. Reliving that moment, in and of itself, wasn't necessarily bad—it was just the humiliation that got to her.

Of course, her mind soon raced to her most recent interactions with Jet—seeing him at the beach _and his scary behavior_ and meeting up with him at DragonsTea _where Zuko showed his true colors_. She didn't know what to think of her ex now. _Has he changed, or is Suki right?_

Within a couple of minutes, she heard the familiar sound of two-inch wheels rolling across concrete. Taking a deep breath, she quietly hoped for the best, but expected the worst.

"Hey Katara," Jet drawled as he kicked up his board. He moved to give her a hug, but stopped himself short when he noticed her back away from him. _Looks like she still doesn't trust me—I'll have to fix that…_ Looking at the building, he grinned as he spoke, "Remember the last time we were here together?"

Slightly embarrassed, but determined to keep the situation from devolving into anything resembling their prior amorous interactions, Katara's voice was steel and razor sharp, "Don't get any ideas, Jet. I'm just here to talk to you, to hear you out. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Whoa, Katara. I didn't mean anything by it. Just reliving old memories, you know?" he said smoothly as he flashed his trademark smile. "I'd rather have this talk in a more private place, though," he remarked, looking around at the other students milling about nearby.

"Fine, let's head inside," the blue-eyed girl replied, trying her best to not roll her eyes in frustration.

As Jet held the door open for her, she led the way towards the reserve desk, already dreading the thought of seeing Mr. Zei. She silently hoped that he had gotten pentapox or was attending some kind of secret, emergency meeting on the upkeep of libraries and books. With hopeful optimism, Katara displayed a small grin. Of course, it quickly disappeared as the librarian's face appeared from around the corner of the large bookcase behind the counter.

While she arranged for a room for them, she couldn't help but notice Mr. Zei's glances towards Jet. She hoped that he would refrain from mentioning anything, at least until Jet was out of earshot. Soon enough, the room was reserved. While Mr. Zei was no idiot—there were always students doing more than just "reading" in the library, especially late at night—he really did hope that he wouldn't have to walk in on those two again. As Katara turned to leave, Mr. Zei whispered to her, "Enjoy your study session."

Stopping herself from spouting off some smart remark, she simply smiled and turned to lead Jet to their room. _At least he didn't mention me being here with Zuko last time…_

As they entered the small space, Katara flicked on the lights and pulled out a chair for herself. Mirroring her motions, Jet soon pulled out the other chair, positioning it inches away from hers.

"So, how are things, Katara?" he coolly queried, leaning forward in his chair.

"Things are fine, Jet. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she said, directly looking into his eyes, arms crossed as she sat back in her seat.

"Cut to the chase, why don't ya? And here I thought we could _study_ like we used to…" he leaned further forward, sliding a foot between hers on the floor and tentatively reaching to touch her hair.

Swatting his hand from her, she calmly retorted, "_I _didn't come here to study, Jet. I came here to talk to you, so spill it or I'm out of here." She said it forcefully, hoping to come off as strong and sure of herself, as opposed to the waffling piece of jelly she felt in the pit of her stomach when it came to dealing with her ex. However, she mentally repeated what Suki had coached her with before she left their room—_Jet could be lying through his teeth at any moment_.

Chewing thoughtfully on his toothpick, the rebel leader reassessed the young woman before him. Relenting his forward assault, he began, "Fine—well, this summer, I had some time to think about things. To think about us…and, well, I'm sorry that things ended the way they did. It was a total asshole thing to do, looking back on it now," he admitted, eyes downcast as he momentarily ran his hand through his disheveled, bushy mane. Looking back at her, he continued, "But I want you back, Katara, and I'll do anything to get you to forgive me, to get you back. Just tell me," he ended, staring earnestly into her crystal-clear sapphire eyes.

"You'll do _anything_, Jet?" she asked with particular—to Jet, it was almost a _peculiar—_emphasis on the "anything."

"Yeah, why? Just tell me and I'll do it," he responded, expecting that she would simply name some inane task for him to complete so he could be near her again, so that she would forgive him.

"Would you lie for me, Jet?" she deadpanned.

"Sure, I guess," he responded offhand, a small sense of trepidation and confusion curling around his insides.

"Or… how about you trick someone into bad-mouthing someone else for me?" she said in the same dangerously serious voice.

Furrowing his brows, and not understanding where the conversation was headed, he simply replied, "Yeah, sure. Just name what you want me to do, Katara—I just want you to trust me again."

When the word "trust" spewed forth from Jet, Katara realized he was full of shit—and she had made a terrible mistake on Friday with Zuko.

Something snapped inside her mind, like a bamboo cane when too much pressure is applied. _Jet doesn't deserve to be trusted, remember? All those times you trusted him to be in band practice, at work or in class—he was lying the whole time. And he got __**your**__ roommate to lie for him—until Smellerbee told you the truth that day you came crying back to your room. She told you everything…and the look from Longshot only cemented that it was true! So don't you dare trust him now—he doesn't deserve it._

Pushing her chair loudly away from the table, Katara's voice tightened in anger as her eyes thinned to slits, "You don't know the first thing about trust, Jet—it can't be bought and sold. And you won't gain mine by doing what I tell you to do."

His smooth grin faltered, revealing his surprise at her response, "Katara, look, I just want things to be right between us. If nothing else, I want to be your friend again…"

With a feeling that could only be described as unrestrained fury, Katara slammed her hands on the table and shouted back, "Jet, you destroyed any possibility of us being friends the minute you decided that cheating on me was okay! And I can't believe I fell for your little act with Zuko. Suki was right—you were just messing with him!"

Standing up quickly, she finished, "This is over."

As she made that first step to exit, however, Jet jumped up and grabbed her wrist, much the same as he had that day at the beach. Only this time, Katara didn't have Zuko to help her. So, she took matters into her own hands.

"Jet if you don't let go, you're gonna be sorry!" she threatened, eyes level.

"I just want to talk to you so you'll understand," the lanky boy replied intensely, his hold tightening along her wrist, cutting off the circulation.

"I'm done trying to understand you, or our relationship, Jet. So _LET. GO. NOW_," she hissed through clenched teeth, desperately hoping he'd get the point.

When Jet made no move to release her, Katara decided it was time to let him know that she was in no mood to be pushed around—not by him, or by anyone else.

So, she took him out.

She threw her knee into his groin with as much force as she could muster without seriously damaging his future fertility. Her movement was so swiftly executed that Jet couldn't make a move to block it—not to mention he was still desperately holding onto her arm. When her knee made contact, he spit out the toothpick in his mouth as he let out a huge "whoosh" of air and dropped to his knees. To her relief, he finally let go of her wrist and carefully clutched himself as he rolled to the ground.

As she exited the small room, subconsciously rubbing her red wrist, she casually stated, "I told you you'd be sorry." _Jerk._

She exited the library in a hurry and practically ran to her dorm. While she worried that he might be hurt, she rationalized that this time—and not to mention last year—he'd deserved it. He was threatening her and she was sick of it. Maybe if he figured out that she could defend herself now, and that she would stand up for herself, he'd leave her alone; he'd recognize that harassing her was more trouble than it was worth.

By the time she got to her dorm, she did feel a little guilty, but it was overwhelmed by her sense of triumph over her ex. Finally, she felt like she was over him—she was done with whatever had happened between them all those months ago. And, at last, it provided her with a small measure of closure.

Thankfully, Suki wasn't present to ask her why she was beaming such a wide smile.

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Eventually, Katara met up with Suki at the pool, spending her afternoon in its tranquil waters. Upon returning to their shared room, she glanced at the small pile of towels on her bed and noticed that one of them obviously did not belong. Picking it up, she glanced at the design off-hand, and remembered her last day at the beach, weeks ago. Her mind quickly harkened back to that day's events; not to mention Zuko in his swim trunks when she borrowed that towel from Iroh, Zuko in his swim trunks as she rubbed some sunblock on him, and Zuko in his swim trunks as he rescued her from Jet…_I guess I really liked the sight of him in his swim trunks_, she smirked to herself.

She knew that she should return Iroh's towel and that there was a high probability of her running into Zuko when she did so—though, unfortunately, probably not in his swim trunks. However, her confidence in dealing with men at the moment was still somewhat buoyed by her response to Jet, and she decided that it was worth the risk. _Besides, I should talk to him and put the entire messy situation from last week behind us._ _I think I may owe Zuko an apology… He deserves an explanation, at the very least. Besides, talking to him will be nothing compared to what went down with Jet. _Recalling that she _had_ kneed her ex in the crotch, she grimaced slightly and silently hoped that he was okay.

However, the red swim trunks and their owner's well-defined abs quickly sprang to mind again, and she began to feel happiness flood her at the prospect of reconciliation—because reconciliation meant making up…and "making up" could just as easily be "making out," she thought mischievously. _After all the difficulties I've experienced over the past year, I deserve to be happy, don't I? Maybe Suki is right…_

Her imagination helpfully provided another visual aid to jumpstart her decision-making process—Zuko kissing her as he bid her farewell following the fire drill. Though now, she imagined he was kissing her while wearing his red swim trunks. She silently realized her swim trunk fetish was beginning to rival her library fetish.

_Yeah, we really need to make up. Right now—in swim trunks at the library_, she thought lasciviously, and nearly laughed out loud._ Yeah, things just might work out…_

Excited at the opportunity to finally make peace with Zuko now that she'd officially reached 'closure'—and borderline assault—with Jet, not to mention possibly rescheduling their cancelled date, Katara changed her clothes in record time and made her way to DragonsTea, Iroh's towel in hand.

As she strolled across campus, she thought about what she would actually say to Zuko, if he happened to be working that afternoon. She had no idea, she realized, and nearly stopped in the middle of her stride, causing the poor soul walking behind her to almost bump into her. Mired in her thoughts, she barely registered the "watch out" that the big-haired young girl behind her had grumbled.

She knew she should apologize for believing Jet instead of him, but she didn't like the idea of admitting this so publicly, especially since it would obviously mean that she had overreacted in the first case. As she neared the tea shop, she silently hoped that only Iroh would be working and that she could deal with Zuko sometime later in the week…when she was less hyped on adrenaline and less enamored with visions of Zuko in his beach-going attire.

Walking into the small shop, she locked eyes with the cheery old man at the counter and silently celebrated his presence.

"Ah, Katara, how are you? I haven't seen you in so long. I hope your classes are going well," Iroh greeted her with a content grin. He still didn't know too much about what had transpired between the young lady and his nephew, only that their date on Saturday had been cancelled.

"Hi Iroh. I'm well—thanks for asking," the Water Tribe girl replied honestly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing as well as can be expected for a man my age!" he responded with a slight chuckle. "Are you here to see Zuko?"

"No, not exactly. I did some laundry and realized that I still had the towel you let me borrow at the beach all those weeks ago," she said, offering the towel to the older gentleman across the counter.

Smiling widely as he accepted it, Iroh casually mentioned, "Zuko will be glad to have his favorite Blue Spirit towel back. Thank you."

Confused and her forehead crinkling at the thought, Katara heedlessly asked, "Zuko likes the Blue Spirit?" She looked at the towel, finally recognizing its design. _So that's who that is…_

"Likes him, the boy was practically obsessed with the Blue Spirit as a teenager! In fact, for his birthday earlier this year, I bought him a set of Blue Spirit pajamas—you should've seen the look on his face," the old man finished, chortling at the memory.

As Iroh spoke, the gears in Katara's mind turned—rapidly. Several conversations flashed through her mind: her first online conversation with **bluspirit**; talking to Zuko about her "mother arctic hen" tendencies; and her most recent interaction with her online friend, along with the many other coincidences between the two.

Of course, as her brain connected the dots, Zuko walked out from the back of the store, surprised to see her standing at the counter.

"Katara, what are you doing here?" the young man asked, unsure of the look on her face.

Unfurling the towel and completely unaware of what was going through the mind of the young woman across from him, Iroh excitedly responded for her, "She came to return your towel, Nephew. You know, the one with Blue Spirit on it!"

As Zuko's eyes glanced from the towel to Katara, he finally recognized the look on her face—and it assured him that she had figured it all out.

"You're **bluspirit** aren't you, Zuko?" she queried soberly, a small lump rising in her throat as she realized that, again, she had horribly misjudged the opposite sex. _Twice with Jet, twice with Zuko—you're four for four—making for an official streak, Katara_, she thought to herself sarcastically and brokenheartedly. _I could handle the apology to him, that was my mistake—but this? How could he?_

Zuko knew that there would be no sense in sticking with the lie he had so long ago fashioned, nor any explanation that could excuse it, and replied curtly, "Yes, I am."

She clutched at the hem of her shirt, reaching for patience and strength in the midst of the crestfallen feeling currently engulfing her. "I can't believe I was ready to forgive you—here I was, going to lay it all on the line and apologize to you. But you're just another _fucking _liar!" she started out quietly, her eyes glazing with unshed tears as her voice steadily rose until she was yelling at the end.

He knew this situation was far worse than what had happened on Friday afternoon. A simple apology and explanation were all that had been needed to mend the fence then. This was, however, much more personal … This was deliberate deception…Quite simply, it was betrayal.

"I didn't mean for it to end up this way," Zuko responded as he walked around the counter, hoping to continue their conversation in a more private place. When Katara had begun to cuss, some of the tea shop's customers began to openly stare at the young couple. "I, I just wanted to get to know you better, and it was easier talking to you that way online. I meant to tell you, Katara, but something else always came up." He saw how badly he'd hurt her. Watching the emotions that flashed across her face, he realized that he just wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry he was.

As he came closer to her, she stepped instinctively backwards towards the door—too many worked-up jerks were grabbing her these days. It was like there was some kind of unknown gravitational pull between her body and that of any jerk that walked past. Grimly, she decided, _it ends here_. "'Something always came up'—that's the best you could do, Zuko?!?" She wanted to yell again, but her voice barely carried above a whisper. _Oh Gods, it hurts…I was so happy, thinking we'd finally work things out and now this…_

She carelessly rubbed some of the wetness from her face, almost laughing to herself as she felt the familiar sear of humiliation burn at her as it tore at her heart. "I thought you were better than that—I thought you were better than Jet, but you're not. You're just another _honorless jerk_!" At the last words, she did regain her voice and hurled as much venom at him as she could gather from within herself.

Zuko's eyes darkened in response to her comment. His mind vacillated between kicking her out of DragonsTea for talking to him that way, and engulfing her in his arms, pledging to never hurt her that way again.

Knowing that he had to intervene, Iroh walked in between the two. Glancing at his nephew's otherwise stoic face and Katara's tear-streaked one, he quietly asked them to calm down. Handing a napkin to the upset young woman, he continued, "Zuko, Katara, this is neither the time, _nor _the place to discuss this. Katara, dear, I'm sorry, but I think you should go."

"Fine, I don't have anything else to say anyway," she said quietly as she accepted the napkin and wiped the tears from her eyes. She hated crying in front of anyone, but she couldn't help it this time—she was hurt, angry and betrayed—not exactly a winning combination. _So much for all that breakfast energy_, she thought to herself dismally, as she fought the urge to laugh again. _Great, now I'm becoming hysterical. Poor Suki's going to kill me for two days of this crap in a row_, she thought cheerlessly.

As she walked out of the tea shop, Zuko tried to follow her, but Iroh's arm shot in front of him. "Zuko, you need to stay here. There's no point in talking to her while she's so upset."

Zuko watched her leave before turning to his uncle. Iroh's wizened, normally cheery face held an unmistakable look of disappointment—Zuko hadn't seen a look like that for some time, not since he was a teenager.

"Why would you lie to her, Zuko?" the gentleman asked softly, shaking his head as he walked back behind the counter. His uncle truly looked old in that moment, as if he carried an unseen burden on his shoulders.

Zuko's hand ran over his face as he mulled the thought. Of course, Zuko knew he was the burden. He honestly didn't have a good enough reason for his uncle's question and, instead, headed back towards the office in the rear of the tiny tea shop.

It was a monumental fuck-up—Zuko knew there would be no easy way to mend things between them, if there was even a way to mend it at all, that is. He sat at the large desk, his head resting on its cool surface, as he gathered his thoughts. _Is there any way to forgive a liar, Katara?_

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Author's Note: Thanks for sticking around long enough to read this latest update—I hope it was worth the wait! I would've gotten chapter 12 out sooner, but work was stressful (I worked overtime every day for a week straight) and it totally screwed with my writing schedule.

Anyway, there's only one more chapter for you, my faithful readers, and then an epilogue. Since work's been increasingly crazy these past few weeks, I'm trying to write out both the last chapter and epilogue at the same time, and post them by mid-May. And, as always, a huge "thank you" to Moor for serving as beta!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. This story is for amusement purposes only—so I hope you're amused!

**Chapter 13**

There was a distinct lump in Katara's throat as she stumbled aimlessly towards campus. She was literally walking around in a daze, barely noticing that she had made her way to the pond located on the far side of the sprawling grounds. When she reached the grass surrounding the water, she fell to her knees out of emotional exhaustion. For a few silent minutes, she kneeled there, pulling out small clumps of grass and observing the movement of the turtle-ducks as they lazily swam across the water's glassy surface. Her eyes glazed over as she re-examined what had just transpired between her and Zuko.

_He was lying to me all this time. How could I be so stupid? I wonder if anything he said—in person or online—was true…What a mess! Yet another screw-up with the opposite sex._

As she cycled through another set of self-deprecating thoughts, she simply hugged her knees to her chest as she giggled nervously from time to time, wondering how she could be so idiotic as to trust men—the wrong men, again. She barely registered the fact that someone was enjoying the pond, too, and she certainly didn't notice the individual slowly approaching her until he called her name.

"Katara, is that you?" a hesitant male voice asked, one she hadn't heard since that fateful day when she met Zuko at the bookstore.

Quickly wiping away any lingering wetness from her cheeks before turning towards him, she smiled weakly in return, "Oh, hey Haru…How's it going?" She knew the fake smile would be fairly obvious, but she was hoping to avoid an even more awkward situation.

"I'm okay—just studying for midterms. Are…are you okay? You don't look…well," the long-haired young man asked with sincere concern.

The Water Tribe girl chuckled in response, surprised to find how easy it was to lie about her present state, "Oh, just got a little stressed out from classes, you know?" Glancing at her watch, she feigned checking the time, "Oh wow, guess I should be heading back to my dorm—it's almost dinnertime. Guess I'll see you around, Haru." With another nervous smile, she realized that Haru always seemed to show up when things were at their worst with the men in her life.

"Uh, yeah, guess I'll see you around, Katara. Hope your exams go well!" he called after her, waving at the young woman's retreating figure.

While the short conversation served as a much-needed respite from her confused thoughts regarding her classmate, Katara couldn't stop her mind from returning to her twisted train of thought as she walked home. She mentally reamed herself for thinking she could trust another man—belatedly realizing that it wasn't as easy as that. The guy had to actually be trustworthy, and it was fairly obvious to her that Zuko was not that guy.

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As Zuko raised his forehead from the desk's cool surface, he growled and banged his fists on the desktop in frustration. _I fucked up bad—I should've told her sooner…SHIT!_ He quickly rose from his space behind the workstation and paced across what little floor space the cozy office provided. However, he soon realized how ridiculous it was to be pacing in such a manner and he quickly slumped into the small chair facing the desk.

It was in this same position that Iroh found Zuko in nearly a quarter of an hour later. Tentatively popping his head into the doorway, the old man addressed his nephew carefully, "Zuko, do you plan on returning to work sometime today?"

"Uncle, I…I'll be there in ten minutes. I'm just…thinking."

Iroh couldn't help but recognize the obvious pain in his nephew's voice and unobtrusively asked, "Do you mind if I do some paperwork in here, then?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Zuko responded without care, his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees.

Taking the seat at the desk, Iroh quietly pulled out a pencil and proceeded to formalize the next week's schedule. As he finished, he put down the pencil, leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers, the heels of his hands resting on his rotund belly. Addressing the depressed young man across from him, he simply asked, "So, what are you going to do, Zuko?"

"What do you mean 'what am I going to do'? There's nothing I can do—I royally screwed up."

"Do you like her, Zuko?" Zuko refused to answer, knowing his uncle was quite aware of his feelings for the girl from the South Pole. "Do you care about her?"

Hesitantly, Zuko replied, "Yes, I do…but it doesn't mean anything now." Seeing his uncle's pleading look, Zuko quickly growled in frustration, "Why…why are you asking, Uncle?"

"Well, if you do care for her, you'll find a way to make it up to her."

"And how am I supposed to do that? I don't think Hallmark makes a card that says 'sorry I lied to you for weeks about my online alter ego…'"

Examining his fingernails closely as he spoke, Iroh asked point-blank, "Are you a Sozin, Nephew?"

Rolling his eyes at his uncle's flair for the dramatic, Zuko replied dully, "Yes, Uncle, I am a Sozin."

"Well, then start acting like one!" Softening his response, he continued, "Because Sozins do not give up this easily—especially in matters of the heart. We're passionate people! All you need is a plan."

"And, how exactly, am I to come up with a plan?"

"I will help you woo back the heart of the Water Tribe maiden," the old man simply replied, watching his nephew's face for what he was sure would be an amusing reaction—and he was not be disappointed. Of course, Iroh was quite pleased with himself and wore a beaming grin, excited at the prospect of helping his nephew out with something he considered one of his two areas of expertise—women. Of course, his other area of expertise concerned tea.

Smacking his palm to his forehead, Zuko's hand rubbed down his face in disbelief—disbelief that not only was he taking advice from his uncle, but he was taking advice _on women_ from his uncle. Considering his options, though, Zuko half-heartedly realized that he didn't have anything left to lose and quickly turned his ear to his uncle's ramblings about the 'fairer sex.'

-----------------------------------

Zuko sat in his chair, his pencil and foot impatiently tapping the adjacent surfaces. As the clock slowly ticked towards the class's start, he anxiously looked to the door, wondering if Katara would show up.

Soon enough, the tanned girl walked into class, chin held up proudly as she listened to her iPod. Without making eye contact with Zuko, she easily slid into her seat, pulling out her notebook and resolutely ignored her neighbor. When Professor Wu entered, Katara turned off her music player, pulling the headphones off as she turned her full attention to the lecturer at the head of the room. Katara took fastidious notes and managed to avoid pulling her eyes away from anything that didn't resemble the old, gray-haired woman or the lined pages of her notebook. And so passed the duration of the interpersonal communications class, inches from her project partner—deliberately rejecting any form of contact. Zuko would sneak in furtive glances at Katara, hoping to meet her eye, and Katara simply continued to ignore him.

When class ended, Katara popped her headphones back on and walked purposefully out of the door. Zuko followed closely on her heels, trying his best not to shout out to her, out of fear of causing a scene—not to mention, he wasn't sure how Katara would react.

"Katara, wait," he asked, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Get your hand off of me," she hissed through clenched teeth. "And wait for what, Zuko? Wait for you to lie to me again? I've got better things to do," she more calmly responded as she forcefully removed his hand and attempted to exit the building.

"Just give me a second—"

"A second for what—for you to pretend to care about me? All I was to you was some kind of social experiment," she said venomously, turning to him as she pulled off her headphones.

Subconsciously clenching his jaw as he placed a check on his latent frustration with his classmate and the anger he directed at himself, Zuko continued, "It wasn't like that at all, Katara. Just let me explain—"

"I don't want an explanation, Zuko. I just want to forget anything between us and get our project over with. We're just classmates, Zuko, and that's it." Looking pointedly at her watch, she finished, "I've got to go."

She turned to leave, summoning all the willpower she had to not look back at him. _Just forget about whatever happened between you two, it's better this way_. She left him standing there in the hall and pretended she didn't give a damn what he did for the rest of his day while she continued to the building of her next tutorial. However, instead of going to class, Katara felt her eyes glaze over with unshed tears and she automatically walked over to the pond. It was there she sat, spacing out until her next lecture. The sound of the water running over the rocks slowly soothed her frayed nerves. As she walked to her 11 a.m. class later that morning, she desperately prayed that things would get easier between herself and her partner, or that the feelings she still harbored for him would slowly disappear.

----------------------------------- 

The next two weeks passed by without incident—no matter how hard Zuko tried to talk to Katara. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to discuss. While Katara tried her best to put aside her lingering feelings for Zuko, it was harder to literally ignore the young man sitting beside her in class twice a week, especially during their required in-class activities. During their assigned exercises, Katara would do her best to use monosyllabic replies and refused to make eye contact with him. To the casual observer, it would have seemed to be immature behavior, but Katara wasn't interested in pleasant conversation; she only hoped for class to end quickly, so she could make her escape from Zuko's ever-watchful presence. It was almost like he was watching and waiting for something to change and it annoyed the crap out of Katara.

Of course, she also ignored his phone calls, banned him from her IM list, and only gave cursory glances to his e-mails, trying to determine if they were school-related. If the messages were of a more personal nature, she simply deleted them as quickly as possible, not wanting to read anything about what could have been.

It also didn't help that he'd sent her flowers—an impressive array composed of moonflowers, which happened to be her favorite. When Katara first saw the bouquet, sitting at her residence hall's front counter with Joo Dee, she had admired them greatly, wondering who the lucky girl in the dorm could be.

With a wide grin, Joo Dee had stopped Katara before she'd made it to the elevators, "Katara, I think these are for you…"

Katara easily guessed the sender, curving her mouth into a fake smile as she waved off the flowers, "But they look so nice up there with you, Joo Dee. Why don't you keep them? I'd just forget to change the water anyways…" With that, she stepped onto the elevator, her smile disappearing the moment the doors shut.

Shrugging her shoulders while giving a quick "okay," Joo Dee glanced at the note that came with the flowers before tossing it in the trash can. Furrowing her brow, she was surprised to see _"I'm sorry. –Z"_ on the note. Thankfully, Joo Dee knew well enough not to ask Katara about the flowers and, instead, appreciated their decorative appearance and pleasant fragrance. Unfortunately for Katara, the flowers only served as a reminder of Zuko each time she passed by them.

Trying her best to keep her mind off of her latest failed relationship, Katara threw herself into school and her extracurricular activities, frequenting the gym or pool everyday, volunteering her weekend mornings away, and holing up in the library to study. While she still looked physically healthy—she did remember to eat and sleep regularly this time around—there was still an air of emotional exhaustion that surrounded the Water Tribe girl at all times.

While Suki had noticed her roommate's intense behavior, she didn't question it or mention anything about Zuko, assuming that Katara had refused her advice a couple of weeks ago. The Kyoshi girl had tried asking her roommate about what was going on in her life, but Katara always changed the subject or brushed off her concerns, too ashamed to share what had happened. And even though she recalled the advice Suki had given her previously, Katara didn't think there was any advice her teammate could give her anyway. As far as Katara knew, the only thing that could mend a broken heart was time.

So instead, Suki busied herself with her own studies and spent as much of her free time with Sokka, as he was often out of town for away games. It was on one such occasion that Sokka asked Suki about his sister.

"So, Suki, I haven't seen Katara in a couple of weeks…She keeps telling me she's busy with school, practice and volunteering. But something tells me that she's keeping something from me…" the elder Kuruk trailed off as he heaped another spoonful of food in his mouth.

Of course, they were once again eating lunch at Bato's following one of Sokka's morning practices. He had recently showered and had his long hair pulled out of his eyes while she sat across from him at the table. Suki picked at the food on her plate momentarily before she responded to her boyfriend's concerns.

"I dunno, she's hardly been at home when I am," Suki said, not wanting to betray her roommate's confidence—that is, if her roommate had taken the time to confide in her. _I don't know what happened, but it's not like it used to be…I wish she would say something, good, bad, whatever…I just want her to tell me what's going on._ "I think she's just focused on school and water polo right now," she continued, hoping to allay any fears her boyfriend might have had about his younger sister.

Sitting there thoughtfully for a moment before responding, "I guess she's just taking her big brother's wise advice for once." As he spoke, Sokka wore a wide grin on his face, proud of the fact that his sister had finally listened to him and decided to concentrate on her studies as opposed to the opposite sex.

In an attempt to break his overconfidence, Suki snapped her chopsticks in his face with a giggle, "Wow, did you hear that noise? It's your ego calling!" she smirked at him before snapping up one of his vegetables right before his eyes. "Now, don't let your head get too big, Mr. All-Star!"

_Your sis may need you if things don't improve and your ego would only get in the way_, she thought wistfully before laughing at his protests and jokes.

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Once mid-terms passed, the campus was abuzz with activity as people hurried from class to class, avoiding the cool nip in the air. The leaves had almost disappeared from the trees, the campus already showing the impending signs of winter. Katara was doing well enough in her plan to avoid unnecessary interaction and conversation with Zuko. However, it was getting closer to their project's submission date, as Professor Wu reminded the class, and Katara knew she'd have to face him sometime.

"As you all know, the end of the semester will be here sooner than you think," reminded the matronly professor. "Not only will your 10-page paper be due, but you also have to make your presentation to the class, explaining your topic and providing support for it. Now, your topic has been approved and, hopefully, you've begun, if not completed, your research. I hope you also take time to practice your presentation, as well. If there are any questions, I'll take them now." After answering a few basic queries, Professor Wu soon dismissed the class.

Turning to her partner, Katara said point-blank, "Let's split the paper up into sections, with each of us writing half the paper. Once we write up our sections, we'll just e-mail them back and forth. From what I recall, you have my e-mail address already," she said with mild scorn in her voice and eyes averted. She'd found looking at his collar or ear were easiest to focus on when she absolutely had to address him. His collar took the prize today.

"Uh, yeah, I have your e-mail address. But what about the presentation?"

"We'll just split it up the same as the paper for both the speaking parts and PowerPoint slides."

"And what about practicing?" Zuko queried quietly, unsure of the response he'd receive, but still relishing the extended moment of conversation with Katara, however terse.

Sighing as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "We'll deal with that soon enough, I guess. But I've got to go. See you next Monday," she finished before exiting the classroom.

"Bye," he replied in turn, gripping his backpack straps with intensity as his inner monologue, once again, berated him and recalled his stupid actions towards the Water Tribe girl that he still cared for.

--------------------------------------

When Zuko got to his karate class on Thursday, the room was dark and cool. He spent a moment turning on the lights and kicking off his shoes before doing some light stretches and going through a kata as he waited for his students to show up. He grunted and shouted through the series of movements, releasing all of his pent-up frustrations regarding his current situation with Katara. _She doesn't want to talk to me and the flowers aren't helping either. Some help Uncle is!_

Unable to shake the agitation from his limbs, he renewed his focus and went through a more challenging kata. His brows gleaned with sweat as he narrowed his eyes, concentrating on his form and posture. Zuko's attention was so focused that he didn't notice the small group of students standing in awe at the doorway to the room, watching him in admiration. When he realized his charges were standing there, he finished the last motion of the kata before relaxing his posture and turning to them. It was Lee that spoke up first.

"Zuko-sensei, that was amazing!" the young teenager said with a toothy grin. "You looked really intense and those moves—wow! Do you think you can teach us that kata sometime soon?"

As soon as Zuko saw Lee's genuine smile, his mind briefly flashed back to Katara as he was reminded of the first time she looked at him in admiration. _And I'll never get to see that smile again_, he thought resignedly.

Wiping his brow with his shirt sleeve, Zuko dully responded, "Yeah, Lee, I think we can learn that one soon." While he ran them through a simpler series, Zuko couldn't tear his mind away from the smile that still haunted him—even in his dreams.

The first smile Katara had given him wasn't something he would easily forget.

--------------------------------------

Katara watched the world go by from her seat on the train. She was still going over her conversation with Aang from earlier that morning and was, if possible, more confused about how to handle her situation than she had been in the past few weeks.

She was just sitting there filing some paperwork for Gyatso in the office when the bald young man appeared in the doorway.

"_Hey, Aang," she said with a weak smile, not looking up from the task at hand in hopes of avoiding his examining gaze. She had noticed that the young Air Nomad had been watching her with concern lately._

"_Hey, Katara," Aang replied with a cheery tone. "Mind if I join you?"_

_Pointing at some papers on the desk, she replied, "Sure, Aang, that stack over there needs to be filed in the cabinet behind you."_

"_Oh, okay. So, uh, how's school going?"_

"_Alright, it's getting closer and closer to finals, so things are getting a little crazy. Nothing too nuts, just busier and a little bit more stressed."_

"_So, you're doing okay in school?"_

"_Yeah, Aang, of course."_

_  
"And how's water polo?"_

"_Fine, we're still training since the season doesn't start until next semester. Aang, what's with all the questions today?" Katara had asked as she looked up at her friend. Her eyes quickly shot down when she noticed the intense look on the young man's face. She was afraid he knew somehow—knew that her heart had been broken again and that he was simply caught up in damage control. She had refused to let it outwardly affect her and had tried her best to not burden her friends with her troubles. Though it looked like she hadn't hidden it well enough._

"_Katara, I know something's wrong. You…you don't seem the same lately. I know something happened—you've been quieter and you sure have been volunteering an awful lot lately. I'm…I'm just worried about you. If something was wrong, you'd tell me, right?"_

"_Yeah, I would Aang, but nothing's wrong. I'm just…busy with my life right now," she replied with what she hoped was a reassuring grin. _

"_Are you sure, Katara?" Recognizing her false facade, he continued, "If something was wrong, though, you'd tell me wouldn't you? You don't have to deal with everything all by yourself, Katara…"_

_Staring at the desktop, she took a deep breath as she truly considered Aang's words. She hadn't told anyone about what had really happened between her and Zuko—not even Suki. She briefly wondered if she should keep it bottled up inside or take the opportunity Aang was giving her and share the burden of her tumultuous emotions. She momentarily closed her eyes and after a couple of calming breaths, she began, "Well, it's about a guy…"_

_Nodding in understanding, Aang took a seat and thoughtfully smiled at her as she spoke. She didn't think he could really help her, but Katara knew that she needed to talk to someone. And she trusted him enough to give her his full attention._

_When she finished, Katara asked Aang if he had any advice for her. In return, Aang asked after a reflective pause, "Are you sure you want my advice?"_

"_Of course, Aang—you took the time to listen to me ramble. And well, maybe I'm too upset to see things straight, you know? You're a good friend and I'd really like to know what you think."_

"_Well, to tell you the truth, Katara…I-I think you should give him a chance to explain. 'Cause it doesn't sound like you even gave him that. And from what you've told me, he seems like a good guy outside of this lie to you," seeing the look on her face, he added somewhat unsurely, "And, it's fairly obvious that you still…uh, care about him." _

_Katara reacted with surprise—she certainly hadn't expected _that_. If anything, she'd hoped that Aang would reinforce her decision to avoid Zuko, and hope that she would just ignore things and get on with her life. Reconsidering her friend and his advice, though, she realized that Aang was all about second chances—hell, he worked in a center for disadvantaged youth, it was practically the family business!_

_Watching the emotions slide across her face, Aang simply smiled at her before rising from his seat and exiting the room, "Just give him a chance to explain, Katara…I'm sure he won't disappoint you." _

As she sat there on the train bench on her way back to campus, Katara remembered Aang's understanding face and how his eyes had softened as she realized how much she had cared—and still cared—for Zuko. She honestly appreciated what a good friend she had in him. _He's such an old soul, sometimes_, she realized. _How did he get so wise?_

Walking to her residence hall, she truly smiled for the first time in what felt like days, and even when she saw the newest bouquet of flowers from Zuko, the smile didn't fade. _Maybe I should give him a chance…_

---------------------------------------

Zuko read through the introduction of the paper he was working on—he had to make sure it was well thought out and would not only appear to be well-written to Professor Wu, but also to Katara. He knew that she wouldn't appreciate, nor be able to afford, a bad grade in the course. Admittedly, he wanted to do well in the class, too. It worked to both their advantages to put forth the strongest possible effort, as their project was a hefty percentage of their grade. Unfortunately, he was repeatedly interrupted by recurring thoughts about her. Even though she hadn't really spoken to him in weeks, outside of class-related conversations—and those could barely be labeled 'conversations'—he still thought about her more than one would have expected at this point, and he kept dreaming of her at night. It seemed that his nocturnal habit was too far ingrained in his subconscious mind, even though he knew he had to relinquish any feelings he still held for her—especially since she no longer returned them.

_What is it about Katara that won't let me stop thinking about her? It's been weeks for Agni's sake…and she still hates me._

As he continued his attempt at focusing on his paper, his mind couldn't help but return to thoughts of her. He still hadn't figured out why he had lied to her for so long, only that he should have told her that it had been him all along. But he had figured out that there was no easy way—if any way at all—to regain her trust. He'd just have to keep up with his portion of the project, proving to her he could at least do _that_ right, and keep hoping that she would change her mind about him.

Zuko stared out of his bedroom window for a moment, his eyes unfocused on the scenery as he replayed in his mind random parts of conversations he'd had with her. He chuckled as he remembered when she virtually asked about his choice of undergarments with her point-blank query of 'boxers or briefs.' Of course, as soon as he thought about that, his mind raced to his run-in with her at the beach…which led to recalling the fantasies that immediately followed that experience.

Shaking the erotic thoughts from his head, he finally turned his attention back to editing his paper.

----------------------------------

"Thank you, enjoy a successful day."

Professor Wu ended the class with a flippant wave of her hand, gathering her things before exiting the room ahead of her students. As Katara picked up her backpack, she clearly stated, "Nice job on the first half of the paper, Zuko. I'll try sending you the rest this weekend."

Surprised at her compliment, Zuko smiled despite her lack of eye contact with him. Appreciating why she was still uncomfortable with him, he uttered a quick "thanks" as he continued to pack up his things.

Walking out of the room, though, Katara looked over her shoulder, locked eyes with him, and quickly mumbled, "Have a nice weekend, Zuko."

"You, too," he answered back with a small smile, and she turned back quickly and left without another word. Zuko wondered if something had changed between them in that simple gesture; wondered if she had perhaps re-thought things since their last meeting...

----------------------------------

Sitting there staring at her laptop screen, Katara fondly remembered the smile Zuko had worn when she said goodbye to him earlier that day. She'd forgotten how his smile lit up his face and silently conceded that she was the reason he hadn't smiled much, if at all, lately. Shaking her head to physically will herself to stop thinking about him, she continued on with her work. She read through what they'd put together and she grudgingly admitted that they would have to practice their presentation—together—if she wanted to get the 'A' she'd worked so hard for all semester. But, of course, that meant spending time alone with him and, no doubt, spending it with him in the library.

Tui and La knew there was no way she'd ever allow him in her room again to study—nothing good ever came out of that. _Except for the surprising kiss he gave you after you had to evacuate the building…oh yeah, and that whole waking up next to him business_, she thought with a knowing blush. She remembered the feeling of his arms around her and a familiar warmth flooded her as her heart thumped excitedly in her chest. Hoping to wipe away the romantic feelings she still harbored for him, Katara rubbed her tired face with her hands and tried to return her attention to her classwork.

With a grunt of frustration, she decided _enough is enough_ and shut down her computer. She hoped that she would be able to focus in the morning after she got some decent sleep, especially since it had been eluding her lately.

Katara muttered darkly about 'stupid guys and their stupid soft lips and stupid comforting hands' as she pulled on her pajamas. She'd had trouble sleeping ever since 'the incident,' her dreams revolving around Zuko in one way or another: whether as the faceless Blue Spirit she'd dreamed of weeks ago, or in more _compromising _situations involving partial nudity, the library and, for some reason, a whip. Nights ago, when she woke up from a particularly sordid fantasy—if one could call it that—she immediately searched for the dream's possible meanings online. Of course, all she could come up with was latent sexual frustration and the desire to punish Zuko…which, really, was no surprise considering their relationship lately, or rather, the lack thereof.

Curling into her comforter and staring at the blank wall across from her, Katara waited in silence for slumber to claim her. And she silently hoped for a dream that would actually help her in deciding whether or not she should give Zuko another chance, as the whole 'ignoring him' thing didn't seem to be working—or at least her subconscious mind certainly didn't think so.

------------------------------------ 

Another interpersonal communications class session ended and Katara put her things away slowly—she wasn't exactly looking forward to speaking with Zuko after class, so she took her time and took some deep cleansing breaths before awkwardly turning to him.

"We need to practice our presentation. This weekend. In the library," she rushed in one breath. Her cheeks tinted themselves in embarrassment when she realized how odd her statement had come out.

"Okay. What time?" Zuko replied nonchalantly as he inwardly cheered like a rowdy soccer hooligan. He didn't want to read too much into the situation, but he had to admit he was somewhat pleased with the turn of events.

"Does Sunday afternoon work for you?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, I only have work in the morning."

"Okay, then 2 p.m. in the library. See you then," she mumbled before practically running from the room, nervous as hell at the prospect of being alone with him again.

_Why am I so damn anxious? It's probably just because of my weird dreams._ She stared purposefully ahead and turned the corner to the stairwell. She didn't want to admit that the fluttering feeling in her stomach meant she was possibly excited about her study session. And she didn't even want to think about how she had slowly come to accept that maybe, just maybe, she should hear him out—her pride was still holding her back.

The verdict on whether or not to talk to Zuko about their relationship would have to come later, she decided, _if it happens at all_. Instead of dwelling on her wavering resolve, she dutifully walked to class and ignored the desire to sit by the pond and think things through.

--------------------------------------

Sunday morning was upon her. As she swam stroke by stroke through her laps at the pool, Katara's mind would temporarily lose focus as she still debated whether or not she should let Zuko explain. And things hadn't gotten any easier after she finally admitted to Suki what was going on. After relaying every last detail, Katara had turned to her roommate, fully expecting Suki to rail at her. However, the Kyoshi girl just looked at Katara with a look combining sadness and regret.

"_Katara, how could you not tell me what was going on? I'm your roommate and your teammate—and you're pretty much my best friend…I mean, I know dating Sokka can't be easy for you—hell, it's not easy for me either, sometimes, I mean with his TOTAL lack of table manners sometimes and his goofy comments…" she trailed off before returning to her original train of thought. "Anyway, if I knew this was going on, I could have helped, or at least given you a shoulder to cry on."_

_Hearing Suki's heartfelt words made Katara once again realize how good her friends were. Smiling at her, Katara spoke thoughtfully, "Well, you've been dating my brother for a couple of months now—so you've obviously got plenty of experience in dealing with idiots—I mean guys," she said, barely concealing her sarcasm. "But I'm sorry I shut you out Suki—I should have told you sooner. Forgive me?"_

"_Of course I forgive you! Enough of this whole sad blah, blah, blah…S,o tell me what's going on now!" Suki had exclaimed in anticipation of some juicy storytelling, only to be let down when Katara admitted that there was nothing to tell at this point._

Katara thought on the rest of their conversation and realized that it would be SO simple to just go through their paper and practice their presentation, and leave it simply at that. That is, until she remembered what Zuko looked like in his swim trunks, his taut muscles glistening with a combination of sweat and lake water. But of course, addressing their relationship could be uncomfortable, not to mention painful, if she decided to let it be more than school-related.

If she broached the subject with him, she'd be leaving herself vulnerable to him and let him know that she cared enough to look past what he'd done. Aside from allowing him another opportunity to break her heart, asking him to tell her why he did what he did meant admitting that she was wrong for shutting him out. And she wasn't entirely comfortable with doing that, either, since she _hated_ admitting when she was wrong, especially when, logically, she wasn't entirely wrong to begin with. _Damn pride_, she thought to herself, kick-pushing herself angrily off the wall as she somersaulted in the water at the end of her lap. And talking about what happened also meant that she would have to consider forgiving him, which was something she wasn't entirely ready to do.

And if she did forgive him, what then? Her head surfaced briefly and she automatically took a breath before submerging again and blowing it out in rhythm with the next stroke. Would things go back to the way they were, or would it be something else entirely? Or was he already over her and couldn't care less about what had happened, or if she forgave him? Would she be able to handle his rejection, or would it just be another sad chapter in her miserable love life? She bobbed her head above water and took another breath. Grunting at all her wayward thoughts, Katara just decided to shut it all out—the questions, the doubts, the possibilities…and swam.

It was easier than pondering her prospects with him; it was easier than letting her emotions of anger, disappointment and sadness resurface. _Things were so much easier when I was younger…then again, Mom was around then, too. _Steeling herself for her roundabout at the end of the pool, she looked up at the sky before right-siding herself and wondered, _what should I do, Mom?_

------------------------------------ 

Zuko sat there wordlessly on the bench outside the library, soaking in some sunshine before the sun disappeared behind the clouds again. Sneaking another glance at his watch, he realized that, yet again, he'd shown up at the library much earlier than he needed to. He inwardly cringed at the small ball of anticipation that danced in his head, which had seemed to push him along more quickly in his walk from work to the library.

_Just because she agreed to work on the project in person doesn't mean anything—she hasn't talked to you about it, let alone forgiven you. Uncle and his stupid advice—nothing he told me to do has worked…_

Grimacing in frustration at his uncle's "plan" to woo back Katara, Zuko's hands clenched the straps of his backpack as he stared off into space. It was this somewhat pained look that Katara came upon.

"Hey, you ready?" she asked with as little nervousness as possible, and what she hoped would pass for seriousness.

Hearing her voice and focusing on her features, Zuko mumbled out a "hello" before following the tanned girl inside the building. Katara made quick work of finding a study room, with no odd looks from Mr. Zei, as he wasn't working that day.

She quickly led Zuko to their small study room and slid into a chair; for the time being, at least, she was determined to keep things strictly business. Once her computer was set up, she bent down into her bag and pulled out a couple of juice boxes and some snacks. Laying the items on the table, she quickly muttered, "Eat something if you're hungry," before turning back to the computer before her.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Zuko thanked her quietly as he got out his textbook and notebook. He opened a juice box and turned his attention to the girl across from him. Katara immediately felt his gaze and Zuko could have sworn she flushed for a moment before turning her focus back to her computer screen.

_Was that?..._ He temporarily squashed the runaway hope that flooded him. He rubbed his eyes, figuring he must've just been tired from waking up so early to open the tea shop.

Katara turned the notebook computer around on the table and scooted her chair closer to Zuko's to get a better view of the screen as she pulled up their paper on the screen.

"You can see here, in the introduction…" she started, and he focused his eyes on her mouth. She quickly went through the changes she'd made to his portion and relayed what she'd written for the second half. After her brief explanation, she then pulled open the PowerPoint presentation she had started. He had to admit, she'd done a fantastic job.

For her part, for a moment, Katara forgot about the bad blood between them and proudly smiled at what she'd already designed for their presentation. She expertly demonstrated the animation she'd used to introduce different sections and showed Zuko some of the video she'd imbedded, explaining how interpersonal communication changed in positive and negative ways via the use of technology. Of course, Zuko briefly wondered how much of the latter she'd pulled from her own recent experiences, but wisely held silent. With a few more concrete examples and suggestions on how else to incorporate technology-related tools and barriers into their project's main points and conclusions, she sat back and let the automated slideshow come to an end.

"So, what do you think?"

When she finally raised her gaze from her computer screen, she realized that Zuko only sat inches from her. Upon the recognition of his closeness, she was surprised to find that she still felt that same unnamable _something _reacting inside her at his nearness. Some might call it electricity, some might call it heat, but to Katara it was all of those and none of them because it was an entirely different feeling than what she had shared with anyone else, even when she'd been with Jet. She hadn't been this close to Zuko in weeks and while she wasn't shocked to find that she was still physically attracted to him, she didn't appreciate how her mind brought up all the mental images of her past fantasies. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up, all physical reactions that she had hoped would stay under control. Abruptly pushing herself away from the table, she sprung up and tensely uttered "gottagototheladiesroom," before quickly exiting. Zuko just furrowed his brow and shrugged his shoulders, simply believing that she really had to go.

When Katara finally made it to the restroom, she slumped herself in front of the sink, hands braced on the countertop as she closely examined herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were still a little red and she found herself taking deep breaths to calm herself. As she stared at the sink's drain, she mentally pep-talked herself, _you cannot let things digress right now—just concentrate on the project._ She looked back at her face in the mirror and realized that she had to talk to him. She heard Aang's words echo in her mind and knew, right then, that she had to do it.

There was no way these feelings were disappearing any time soon; she had to just let it out—just talk to him like she had with Aang and let happen what may. _It's not like you have anything to lose—he could be over you, or there could be something else… or someone else. _She immediately felt her insides tighten and her core temperature plummet at the realization. _That's true…But he wouldn't still be sending me flowers. And calling. And e-mailing. And I'm sure he tidied his hair up to meet me today. _Her internal pendulum swung back again, confusing her further. Finally, she shook her head._ But there's no way you're going to be able to concentrate on the rest of your life until this is laid to rest._ As she made her decision, she stood a little taller in front of the mirror, already feeling the burden of her emotions lifting from her shoulders. Smiling at her confident reflection, she took her time to fix her hair and wash her hands. She'd talk to him soon enough…she just hoped that there was something salvageable.

Back in the study room, Zuko waited for Katara to return and found himself smirking at the laptop screen. He couldn't help but be pleased with her work thus far—in fact, he was impressed. Zuko knew she had an impacted schedule, what with her team's practices, her classes, and her volunteering, and wondered how she could have found the time to do such a great job on their project.

However, he frowned when he realized that _she _had done most of the work. What had he done? So far, he'd only written up half of the paper. Was it because she didn't trust him to do a good job? Or something else? Before he came up with a satisfactory answer, his blue-eyed classmate re-entered the room, her face graced with a much calmer look. As she moved towards her chair, Zuko scooted his back, figuring she probably didn't want to sit too close to him, _considering what I did, anyway_.

But Katara surprised him when her hand grabbed his forearm and she looked into his eyes, confessing, "We need to talk."

Dense as ever, Zuko assumed she meant the project, and started offering other ideas he had for embellishing the presentation. Shaking her head, Katara interrupted him, "About us, Zuko."

The color drained from Zuko's face at her words. He didn't know what to do or where he should start. Did she want an explanation, or did she want to simply tell him that he was a jerk for not doing more of the project; or, worse yet, tell him she didn't want to talk, see, or hear from him again once the semester was over? Sensing the questions flashing through his mind, Katara smiled at him. And it wasn't that small smile that she had shown him earlier, it was a deep, wide grin, one that showed she knew how confused he was.

In that moment, when he recognized the intention of reconciliation behind her beautiful eyes, he knew everything was possible. She _had_ only treated him with complete disinterest the past few weeks, but now, now he had her full attention and he was wasting it on being nervous about what she wanted from him. Zuko briefly wondered if Iroh's plan had worked and momentarily regretted having to his uncle that it possibly had.

So, taking a deep breath, Katara started the conversation, belatedly realizing that it was going to be harder than she thought to get the right words out. "Well, I…I talked to a friend—Aang, at the teen center."

At the mention of another man's name, Zuko scowled momentarily, thinking that this Aang character, _whoever the hell he is_, probably told her that he was no good and that she should just run away from him as quickly as her little snow-loving feet could carry her.

Seeing the look on his face, she chuckled in response. Looking down at her hands, she continued, "No, really, he's just a friend. Anyway, he told me I should give you a chance to explain…because I never listened your side of the story. And, well, he really believes in giving people second chances…" She took another deep breath and spoke her next words slowly, hoping to have those words settle in not only Zuko's mind, but also her own, "Shit, I mean, we work with kids from the 'wrong side of the tracks' every day and it's all about giving them second chances…second chances to prove themselves… to start anew."

Looking back up at Zuko, her sapphire eyes instantly locked with his amber ones. Unfortunately, Zuko's face was blank—there was no telling what was going on 'behind the scenes' in his mind. Afraid of his response, Katara bit her lip nervously.

"Uh…I-I didn't expect that," he said, running his hand through his shaggy hair, before showing her a hopeful smile. "But, I guess I'll start at the beginning."

The smile she gifted him with next gave him all the confidence he needed, and slowly, he told her how it had all started. Sitting there, Zuko looked down at his hands as he spoke, only looking up at the Water Tribe girl occasionally to make sure she was following along. When he did look at her, she supplied nods and smiles, reassuring him that she was still listening. When he finished, he was a little surprised to see she was still smiling and hadn't run from the room screaming in anger.

"So, that's, uh, it, I guess," he concluded, searching her face for a reaction—one that he hoped would be at least somewhat positive.

"Well, it isn't entirely unbelievable—I mean, I didn't like you at all when we first met and just hoped that we would get along well enough to get a decent grade. So, I guess it makes some sense that you would try to talk to me without my prejudice in the way…" Zuko's face bore a large smile as he realized that she at least understood his situation and the predicament he faced. "But don't think that this makes everything better, Zuko. There's still the whole lying thing—I don't like being lied to, not by anyone, but especially not by my boyfriend."

When she said the word "boyfriend," Katara's hand instinctively went to cover her mouth, almost like young children do when they've said a bad word. Her cheeks flared red again and her eyes shot downwards in embarrassment.

She began to open her mouth in apology—that is, until Zuko grabbed her wrist, drawing her attention away from the increasingly fascinating carpeting.

"It's…okay," he said sheepishly. "I—I don't mind it. In fact, I've wanted to hear you say that for some time, Katara," he replied, pulling her closer to him and cheering internally as she let him close the distance between them to a mere hair's breadth.

Feeling his warmth encircling her, Katara looked down at the carpeting again, unsure of what she should say next, as all that was coming to mind was a distant, foggy "oh." Her mouth motioned to utter something, anything, to break the near-deafening silence, but she instead found her lips swiftly encased in his.

Zuko was still holding her wrist as he kissed her, but soon let it slide down her arm and encircle her back, pulling her into his lap. When he felt her other hand reach for his face, with one of his own hands he cupped the back of her head delicately and deepened the kiss, enthralled that she wasn't fighting him. His fingertips brushed the sides of her mouth and caressed her cheeks, memorizing her features in each motion.

As they continued to kiss, Zuko felt his confidence grow and his tongue cautiously slipped out of his mouth, making brief contact with the crease of her lips. Pleasantly surprised at his mute request, Katara's lips parted ever so slightly, allowing him access. He tasted her lips, his tongue exploring her, tasting her and the sweetness that she unknowingly exuded. It was in that moment that Zuko knew he could _never_ get tired of kissing her.

After an indeterminate, though entirely too short period of time, Zuko broke away from Katara, allowing them to breath. Katara's eyes fluttered open slowly, like she had awoken from a satisfying nap, as she brought her fingertips to her lips in disbelief of what had just happened. Zuko looked on, more than pleased with himself and his apparent skill in making her look _that way_.

Once Katara came to her senses, however, her brows furrowed and she playfully smacked him on the shoulder, as her voice broke the silence, "So… I guess we're in agreement, then."

Zuko chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her as he smirked. "Uh huh."

She tried to frown at him, but failed miserably. "No more of, uh, this, until we're out of the library—don't forget we have a project to finish, okay?"

Feigning annoyance with her, Zuko replied with an agitated "fine" as she slowly withdrew herself from his lap. However, he quickly smiled and made a small announcement before returning his attention to their class work, noting, "Just don't forget that you owe me a first date."

"Duly noted, Mr. Sozin. Now let's just finish this presentation before any other distractions arise," Katara finished with a naughty wink as she turned back to her computer. She couldn't help but wear a stupid grin the entire time they sat in the library, even as they argued over inane subjects like what the best font to use was and how they should intersperse the video clips. Of course, Zuko couldn't help but smile, too.

As they finished their study time, Zuko created the perfect first date in his mind—hopefully _without_ any interference or advice from his uncle, while Katara briefly wondered if there was a library at Zuko's house—and if he really did own a pair of Blue Spirit pajamas like he'd said online one time…She promised herself she would eventually find out, hopefully during a real sleepover—as opposed to the accidental one they'd had earlier that semester. With that, Katara turned her attention back to their project and her boyfriend, not caring to hide the blush on cheeks or her lascivious grin.

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Author's Note: It's the end, the final and glorious end! Well, except for that little epilogue I promised everyone—which I PROMISE will have some more smexy Zutara moments.

Anyway, speaking of continuations, I'd like to ask that if you review this story, please let me know if you'd like to read a sequel. And it doesn't have to be all Zutara—I could write something up about Suki/Sokka, or introduce Azula into the mix, or present a Jet comeback. Just let me know if you want a sequel and, if you do, what you'd like to see in it. Feel free to leave your suggestions either in your review or on LJ (see my profile for the link).

Hopefully, by the time I post the epilogue, I'll have enough responses as to let everyone know if there's anything more to look forward to!

And, of course, thanks again to Moor, who has been SO patient and fun to work with. A girl couldn't ask for a better beta reader (no matter what Moor says to the contrary)!


	14. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for amusement purposes only—so I hope you're amused!

**Epilogue**

_The end of the semester always arrives sooner than expected, and this time around was no different. Between the flurry of projects, papers, presentations, and final exams, Zuko and Katara spent very little time alone with each other. They had already tried to study together at Zuko's house and had miserably failed at keeping their attention on their textbooks…and were, of course, caught in the act. And by Iroh, no less!_

Suki sat at her desk, alternating between studying for her pending final and watching Katara methodically pack up some of her things in anticipation of the winter vacation. Peeking from her textbook, the Kyoshi girl noticed her roommate staring off into space. When Katara noticed Suki's observation of her, she fiercely blushed and quickly returned her attention to the task at hand.

Without waiting to be acknowledged, Suki spoke out loud knowingly, "You don't even have to tell me—you're thinking about _that_ night, aren't you?"

Katara shook her head, ignoring her teammate's incessant giggling and letting her mind return to that night nearly two weeks ago. _What a way to get caught—and I thought getting caught by Mr. Zei in the library last year was the height of embarrassment!_

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They had made it through a whole hour of studying at Zuko's house before succumbing to their baser instincts. Katara was returning from the restroom and Zuko was walking out of the kitchen, having put away the snacks they had been eating earlier. Katara stood there staring at him for a moment until she made her move, stepping lithely in front of him and snaking her small, brown hands up his chest. Her hands slid over the muscles of his upper body, slowly making their way across his shoulders and around his neck. Zuko sharply inhaled as he felt her hands move up his torso. Pulling him close, she kissed him sweetly. She began to pull away, but Zuko refused her action and quickly engulfed her lips with his again. His hand trailed up from her waist, his fingertips coming to rest on the side of her face after they'd ghosted across her closed eyelids. His thumb stroked her cheek tenderly as he pulled on her lower lip with his. Closing his eyes, he tentatively licked her lips as his hand cradled the back of her head.

Following his lead, Katara opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss as she threaded her fingers through his shaggy hair. She barely registered that he tasted of chai green tea and fire flakes—_spicy and spicier_, she thought to herself. But that gesture of invitation nearly undid them. Within moments, they were completely lost in each other's arms, ignoring the world around them. They moved together blindly, fumbling along the hallway towards his room. So unaware of anything outside of the other's embrace, they didn't hear the sound of someone entering the house. However, a deliberately loud clearing of Iroh's throat quickly brought the impromptu make-out session to an end.

Freezing in Zuko's arms, Katara was mortified with embarrassment when she realized that the kindly teashop owner had caught them. Silently and with some deserved bittersweet irony, she wondered how she always seemed to get caught in compromising positions with the opposite sex. Thinking to herself, she admitted that at least his hand wasn't up her shirt…Not that she was necessarily opposed to the idea or anything…Of course, Katara's cheeks flushed a little deeper as she realized that not only was she thinking about Zuko's hands on her chest, but she was thinking about it in front of his uncle. Desperate for some kind of distraction, she looked just past Iroh to the next room—and saw the massive bookcases lining the wall. _Oh Gods! My book fetish is completely subconscious now—how did I not notice the library-esque look of the living room earlier?_

While Katara stood there quietly in embarrassment, Zuko had quickly removed his hands from her person. Running one hand through his now decidedly mussed hair as the other shoved itself into his pocket, Zuko addressed his uncle somewhat sheepishly, "Uh, hey Uncle. Katara and I were just studying. How are things at the shop?"

"It was rather slow this evening, Nephew—everyone else must be 'studying' like you, too." He momentarily chuckled to himself before continuing. "Interesting technique—I don't believe I'm familiar with that method," the gray-bearded man responded as a knowing smile graced his features. Patting his belly, he continued, "I hope you don't mind, but I'll need to use the kitchen."

Finally finding her voice, Katara stood aside from the doorway to the adjoining kitchen, "Of course not, Iroh. Besides, I think I ought to head home anyway." Somewhat reluctant to leave her spot near Zuko, she walked past Iroh, gathering her things in the living room. She shot the bookcase a thoughtful, if suspicious, look as she passed by._I do not need a shrink, I do NOT need a shrink, this is NOT a fetish…_

Watching the young lady as she collected her books, Iroh glared at Zuko as he lamely attempted to mime something important to his nephew. Unfortunately, the young man's response was obvious confusion with a touch of agitation. Mouthing "take her home" as he pointed to Katara and then at the door, Iroh hoped that Zuko had gotten the message.

Finally nodding in understanding, Zuko queried Katara, "I guess I should walk you back to your dorm, huh, Katara?"

She nodded at Zuko, providing a simple "sure" as she packed up the last of her things. "Have a good evening, Iroh!" She smiled at the gentleman as he held open the door for her.

"I will, Katara. Thank you. You two have a _nice_ walk," Iroh emphasized with a waggle of his eyebrows as Zuko walked past him. Iroh was rewarded with what he had decided long ago was one of Zuko's 'scowls of endearment.'

After that thoroughly embarrassing incident (which Zuko never heard the end of, thanks to his uncle), Zuko had suggested that they move to the library, hoping that the prospect of studying in public would help them restrain themselves. Oddly enough, Katara had point-blank refused the suggestion, and reacted as if he had just suggested she lead a panty-clad conga line across campus. And Zuko could have sworn that her face had even flushed a little at the suggestion…

So, instead, they settled on studying independently of each other for the rest of the semester—about two weeks; it wasn't ideal, but it would guarantee at least some focus on academics, as opposed to physics. As for their final presentation for Professor Wu's class, they didn't have the time to practice together anyway, and instead worked things out separately. When the big day came, they confidently gave their presentation and turned in their paper with matching satisfied grins on their faces.

When they handed the freshly bound document in, Zuko could have sworn that the matronly professor was wearing a smirk at his expense. Of course, Katara told him he was just being paranoid. It wouldn't be until much later that Zuko and Katara would both learn the truth about their teacher.

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So what if it was cold, grey, and windy that day? As far as Katara was concerned, it was an absolutely perfect day—she had just finished her last final and it felt like an unbearable weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Practically skipping across campus, she grinned broadly when her cellphone rang. Picking up the call, she answered in a sing-song voice.

"You're certainly in a good mood," a vaguely amused voice answered.

"Of course, I'm in a good mood, Zuko! I just finished my last final—no more worries until next semester," the Southern Water Tribe girl responded confidently.

"But doesn't that mean you have to move out of your dorm room tomorrow?"

At the reminder of her impending pack-a-thon, she chewed her lip thoughtfully a moment before she spoke in a somewhat annoyed tone, "You really know how to bring down the party, huh, Zuko? Geez, you might as well have said you were bringing a keg of non-alcoholic beer to a frat party…"

"No, that wasn't what I—"

"And here I was trying to _not _think about packing up all my crap and moving to Sokka's apartment tomorrow…"

Hoping to distract her, Zuko tried again. "Speaking of, isn't your brother out of town this weekend through next week?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible, his face smug at the thought of spending uninterrupted _and thoroughly alone _time with his girlfriend.

Practically hearing his confident grin through the phone, Katara rolled her eyes, "Yeah, he is, but don't get any ideas. He still doesn't know about us, yet…"

"Yeah, I know…He hasn't figured out why you wanted to stay here during winter break, has he?"

"Of course not. He just thinks I felt like doing something a little different for my birthday and winter solstice this year. I just got lucky that he's playing a home game that day."

"He's not the only lucky one…"

"Anyways," she plodded on, grinning and trying to ignore the faint heat in her face at Zuko's comment, "do you want to meet up for lunch at the tea shop?"

"Sure, I'm nearly there now. See you in ten?"

"See you then," she said before flipping the phone shut.

Pulling the fake fur-lined hood of the parka closer around her to fend off the seasonal chill, Katara hurried across campus to _DragonsTea_. As she made her way inside, she soon found Zuko at a table inside, a small pot of her favorite tea ready and waiting for her beside him. Pulling her hood down, she sauntered up to him and gave him an innocent peck on the cheek before lacing her fingers in his as she took a seat across from him.

Grunting at the touch of Katara's still icy hands, Zuko jokingly whined, "How can your hands _always_ be cold, Katara? They always feel like little icicles."

"I'm small, so I get cold more easily. If you'd prefer, I could just not hold your hand you know," she replied with feigned indifference. "And to be really considerate, I'll even promise to never touch you again. Ever."

Recognizing her jest, he played along, "That would be really thoughtful—especially since I wouldn't have to worry about some crazy brown midget trying to suck my body heat away at every opportunity…"

Tightening her grip on his hand, Katara's eyes narrowed as she spoke, "'Crazy brown midget' huh?"

Surprised at his girlfriend's sudden burst of strength and vice-like grip, Zuko did his best to play it off. "Uh, I didn't mean that! It was, uh, nothing, I was just joking…You know, haha, funny," he said as he carefully extricated his fingers from the lovely, though occasionally volatile, young woman next to him. Once his hands were free, he instinctively moved them into a defensive position, unsure of what to expect from what he believed to be his now-fuming girlfriend.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Katara knew her boyfriend was, in fact, joking, but she couldn't help herself from seeing what might happen if she kept her "angry face" going, "Well, it wasn't funny…And I'm absolutely _not _crazy…" Finishing with a straight face, she turned from him in false anger, intently staring at the menu board (as if she hadn't viewed it plenty of times and had inadvertently memorized its contents).

She couldn't keep the act up, though, as she glanced sideways at Zuko, who was currently wearing a look that hovered between a confused stare and frustrated scowl. Realizing that she had successfully tricked him, the blue-eyed girl promptly began to giggle uncontrollably.

"What are you laughing at?" Zuko asked with a slight strain to his voice.

"Now _that _was funny," Katara said as she quieted herself.

Zuko simply scowled, ignoring his girlfriend for the time being.

"That look on your face…It's like you've never had someone play a little trick on you, Zuko, or maybe someone's played one too many tricks on you," Katara said slightly condescendingly as she patted his arm. Looking around, she realized that there was a very empty counter before them. Turning to Zuko, she shared her observation, "Isn't Iroh supposed to be working today?" _Or should we just put the closed sign up in the window for a little while_, she thought suggestively to herself.

"Yeah, he is. Maybe he's in the back office," Zuko said as he went behind the counter and made his way to the cozy room. Popping his head into the doorway, Zuko practically jumped when he saw someone very familiar in the office with his uncle. Not only was the person a woman, but she was a _laughing_ woman…and his (former) interpersonal communications professor! _What the hell is she doing with Uncle? And why is she laughing—I don't think I've ever seen her smile, let alone laugh? Can profs even do that? Isn't there some kind of 'scholar' code that prevents them from being human in situations where they could potentially run into a student?!?_

Noticing his nephew, Iroh addressed the startled-looking young man, "Ah, Zuko, how are you?"

"G-good, Uncle. Uh, there was no one up front, so I thought I'd, uh, let you know," the young man shifted uncomfortably from side to side, wondering if he should leave or not.

Iroh recognized the look of discomfit on Zuko's face, and pointed to the now professionally composed woman across from him, "I believe you know Ms. Wu."

"Hello, Zuko, I hope your remaining finals went well," the older woman said seriously. Turning to the older man still seated across from her, "Iroh, I believe I should get going. If I don't get those papers graded soon, I'll have a crowd of angry young people congregating at my office door." Getting up from her seat, she finished, "Thanks for the tea, old friend. Until next time." She glided past Zuko with a secret smile and exited the small tea shop. The chimes above the door signaled her officially-out-of-earshot status.

He wasted no time and immediately took the now-empty seat before him.

"Uncle, what was my professor doing in here?" Zuko didn't even pause to give Iroh a chance to explain. "And why did she call you 'old friend'? What's going on?"

Iroh took a pensive breath before he patiently explained that they were old business associates and had been friends for some time now. Sputtering like a fish out of water, Zuko looked at his uncle inquiringly, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by an exasperated young woman rushing up to the office door.

"Did I just see Professor Wu exit the building?" Looking at Iroh suspiciously, Katara queried, "What were you talking to her about, Iroh?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. We were just catching up on something that I had asked her to do…" the old man trailed off as he rose from his seat, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"And just what kind of a 'something' would you two be working on, Uncle?"

"If you must know Nephew, the project was _you_," Iroh answered, patting Zuko's head as he walked past him.

"What do you mean 'you'?" the young man responded, his brow furrowed in confusion as he turned awkwardly in his chair.

"Well, I knew you were taking Wu's class this semester, so I asked her to pair you up with a nice young lady. I just never expected it to be young Miss Kuruk." Pausing a moment to chuckle as he remembered Zuko's frustration that first day at being paired up with _that girl from the bookstore_, the rotund man continued, "But it seems to have worked out for the best, hasn't it?"

The little chime above the door of the tiny shop tinkled pleasantly, alerting the tea master to the arrival of more guests. Iroh didn't bother to turn around to see the look on Zuko's face—although he was sure it was priceless—and instead walked to the front to tend the counter.

Katara, who had been standing in the hallway the entire time, wore a look balanced between confusion and frustration. _What makes her think she should be playing matchmaker? The last thing I needed this semester was a boyfriend and here MY PROFESSOR is setting me up with some total stranger? What the hell?!? What if he was a date rapist or something?!? But if she hadn't, I wouldn't be with Zuko. And it's not an entirely bad thing being his girlfriend…_Realizing that Iroh had only meant well in regards to Zuko, she decided to simply let it go and wore a small smile of acceptance in recognition of the serendipitous situation.

"And, what, exactly are you smiling about?" the scowling man asked as he stewed in his seat.

"I just came to the conclusion that it's kind of sweet what your uncle did."

"Sweet…sweet? He manipulated my teacher and butted into _my private _life! How is that sweet?"

Walking around him, Katara mused for a moment as to whether she should show or tell Zuko her response. Eyes shining and a wicked grin on her face, she decided on the former. Silent as a whisper, she toed the door to the small office shut.

Zuko, who was completely unaware of what was going on, still sat in his chair fuming a few moments later, still waiting for her answer. Looking up from his lap, he was surprised to find Katara standing there before him, intently gazing down at him. He opened his mouth to ask her again, but lost his voice upon recognizing _that look—_the one that looked hungry for something he couldn't describe—in her eyes. Suddenly, he really wanted to know what _she_ thought 'sweet' was…

She quietly removed his curled fists from his lap and gingerly sat down in their place, her legs off to one side. Zuko, still speechless, watched her with attentive eyes as she bent down towards his face. Instead of kissing his lips, Katara had decided at the last moment to trail kisses down his unscarred cheek and down his neck. Zuko let out a low moan as Katara reached the base of his neck, taking a moment to luxuriate in the cinnamon and sandalwood smell that was distinctly _him_. She kissed her way back up his neck, pausing at the juncture between his jawline and his ear for a moment to delicately suck on his earlobe. She hadn't released his wrists, and held them captive, allowing herself a triumphant smirk as she felt his pulse slowly beat more strongly, then race.

After satisfying her need to physically tease Zuko (very, very effectively, too, if his obvious below-the-belt physical reaction was any indication), she sensually whispered in his ear, "Was that sweet enough for you, Zuko? Because without your uncle's interference, you wouldn't have sugar like that in your life…"

"Uhn-huh," was all Zuko could think of to say at the moment as he looked up with half-lidded eyes. _Or spice_, he added deliciously to himself, _since that's what good girls are made of…_He smiled back at her wolfishly. In that short moment, he decided that if that was sugar, he couldn't wait for spice.

Impressed with her boyfriend's reaction, Katara couldn't help but giggle at his oh-so-articulate comeback. Giving him a perfunctory kiss on the lips and rising from his lap, she grabbed his hand, "Come on, let's get something to eat soon or I'm going to turn into Sokka."

"And eat everything in sight like some crazed, starving, goalie-stick-wielding barbarian?"

Katara looked at him a moment in shock before she burst out laughing.

Zuko had finally cultivated a sense of humor.

Shaking his head out of the last of its stupor, Zuko willingly followed Katara out of the office smiling. _I suppose Uncle isn't _that _bad after all_…

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Katara had been living at Sokka's apartment alone for about a week since Sokka'd been traveling to away games. Of course she had Zuko over often, enjoying as much time as she could with him before her brother came back from his road trip. She also paid attention to the Ba Sing Se Bears scores, knowing that how well or poorly the team had played would most definitely affect her brother's demeanor upon his return.

If they had done well—say a couple of scoreless games for the opponent—Sokka would be a in a chipper mood, ignorant of how his sister was out "gallivanting" as their Gran-Gran called it. However, if they were suffering from a losing streak—or Tui and La forbid—had fallen out of first place in their division, her brother would be as angry as a platypus-bear awoken early from its hibernation. And that would make for a tough, if not nearly impossible, introduction to her new boyfriend. As one might imagine, Katara cheered for the Bears every chance she got.

By the time Sokka arrived back in Ba Sing Se, his team had done fairly well and Katara knew that her brother would be in high spirits. The Bears were still in first place, the all-star game was coming up, and Sokka was a shoe-in for the goalie position on the North team. Things couldn't have been better for her impending confession.

_Unfortunately, good things don't last, and neither did the peace between the two Southern Water Tribe siblings. And what exactly brought the younger Kuruk's current relationship status to light? Laundry, of course…_

It was a dreary Sunday afternoon and it was a perfect day for laundry. Not only would the dryer warm up Sokka's large apartment, but it would be _so _nice to have some toasty towels for when she finished her bath, Katara decided as she popped her laundry into the dryer. Unfortunately, Katara was still in the bathroom when the dryer dinged, signaling the end of its load.

Since Sokka needed to get his own freshly washed clothing into the machine, he decided to do his sister a favor and empty it out for her. Whistling to himself, he hastily threw the clothing into the basket at his feet. Before shutting the door, he remembered his sister's nagging voice ever-so-gently reminding him to feel around the bottom of the drum to make sure he didn't miss anything—and he certainly didn't want his sister's girly clothes coming into contact with all of his "manly things." As his hand blindly explored the area underneath the lint trap, Sokka felt something soft. He pulled the lone piece of clothing up, his jaw dropping at what he saw.

_Why is there a pair of men's boxers in Katara's laundry? Is she seeing somebody? Who is this guy—spirits smite him—potentially touching my baby sister? _

…_And how _exactly_ am I gonna kick his ass?_

Brandishing the offensive boxers at arm's length, Sokka marched over to his sister's room bellowing, "Katara, why is there a pair of _men's flannel boxers_ in your laundry? And don't you dare try to pull off the 'they're comfy to sleep in'-excuse again, young lady! I know you've got pajamas for that!"

Katara, who was comfortably lying on her stomach reading a magazine on the guest bed, looked up at her brother in horror. She jumped up from the bed like it was on fire and stood up ramrod straight in her bathrobe, unsure as to how to address her brother.

Nervously she responded, "What do you mean 'men's boxers'? Why would I have 'men's boxers' in my laundry?" Giggling in distress, she supposed with a slight squeak to her voice, "Are you sure they aren't, um, _your_ 'men's boxers,' Sokka?"

At the realization of the fact that she had said 'men's boxers' no less than three times in the span of just as many sentences, Katara mentally smacked herself. _Way to sound not guilty! Could I have been any weirder right then? Okay, stop freaking out, I just have to figure out a way to smooth this over—this is definitely NOT the way I wanted him to find out…_

She paused a moment._ And how the hell did Zuko's boxers get in the laundry anyways? I mean, we haven't gotten that, uh, far, yet…Maybe he left them here when we went to the hot tub that day? Or maybe that night when he accidentally fell asleep–he took a shower here before he went back home in the morning…Maybe it was…_

While Katara's scattered thoughts careened from one scenario to the next, Sokka's face became thoughtful. He stretched the pair of boxers in between his two hands, holding them up to the light, much like a scientist would hold a test tube up to examine its contents. His brow furrowed until he realized his mistake—they were his, the pair he'd lost months before. They must've just been caught in the off-kilter dryer drum. No wonder he hadn't been able to find them. Or identify them. He hadn't seen them in weeks.

His mouth opened to apologize, but his sister interrupted him instead.

"Uh, Sokka, well, it's just that…" the blue-eyed girl stared off into space for a moment, considering how she would admit her relationship to her brother. _I should tell him, but how? Come on, mouth and brain—why can't you work together right now? She wondered vaguely if he'd understand it through charades or pictionary—it really was too bad that she sucked at both games. She just needed some way to tell him that didn't involve her actually saying, "I'm dating this really nice guy."_

Realizing that his sister had trailed off in thought, Sokka shrugged his shoulders and confessed. "Sorry 'bout that Katara, but, uh, I think you're right. These are mine; I must've left them in there the last time I did laundry. Sorry for freaking out on you," he said as he crumpled the underwear in his fist. He turned away, as if to return to the laundry room before looking at his sister, whose face was in an obvious state of shock, "Were you going to say something?"

"Uh, no, Sokka, uh," Katara paused a moment before plastering on a falsely angry face. She decided to go on the 'defensive.'

Poking her brother in the chest with her index finger, she haughtily stated, "Don't start screaming at me like that ever again, Sokka! What did you think was going on, anyway? It's not like I'm 10 years old or something—I'm a grown woman for goodness sake!"

Sokka raised his hands in surrender and he started to apologize again, but she interrupted him.

"Besides, would it be _so_ horrible if I did have a boyfriend?" she quietly queried next, avoiding his eyes.

Feeling guilty for falsely accusing his little sister, his arm hugged her around the shoulders as he sat down on the edge of the bed with her, "No, of course not, Katara. Look, I trust you, it's just that I don't trust other guys. We're dogs, you know—all we want to do is eat, sleep, shit, and screw." Hearing his sister giggle, he continued, "And not necessarily in that order, either. But, you would tell me if you were seeing somebody, right? You don't have to keep your boyfriends a secret from me—that is, unless it's Jet. 'Cause if you're dating Jet again, I just might have to beat him bloody with my hockey stick." _At least twice, if I have the opportunity_.

Laughing at the thought of her brother defending her honor, Katara finally spoke, "No, I'm not dating, Jet…But, uh, there is somebody…"

Sokka, not expecting his sister's confession, sat there dumbfounded and mute as Katara explained her relationship with Zuko. She decided to start off by telling Sokka how they had met, and how they were classmates all semester, and how they became more than friends. Of course, she didn't mention Zuko's little white lie and his online identity—she didn't want to make her brother dislike Zuko anymore than she figured he would on his own and without her prompting.

Sputtering, Sokka rose from the bed, ready to shred the pair of boxers in his hands, "The _tea shop guy_! That's who you're dating?!?" Cracking his knuckles loudly with a murderous look on his face, he continued, "And isn't he older than you? What are you doing dating older guys? Didn't I warn you about them? Why don't you ever listen to me?" After that outburst, Sokka simply muttered under his breath and all Katara could hear was "idiot" and "told him to stay away from her."

Sokka went on like that for about ten minutes, pacing across the room, flinging his arms into the air for effect every few sentences. Katara just sat there, massaging her temples, before she finally decided she could no longer take her brother's idiotic overreaction.

"Look, Sokka, I really like him, he's good to me, and we get along, okay? He's reliable, kind, and smart. He's even funny…sometimes. Besides, Suki's met him a couple of times and likes him just fine—"

"Suki, MY Suki, knew about this? Why didn't she tell me? Why would she keep something so important a secret? How could she—"

Katara gave her brother a level glare that got the point across—until Sokka started again.

"So he's got some kind of mind control powers to get you to keep his secrets—"

"Cut it out, Sokka! I _asked _her to keep it a secret because I knew you would freak out the second you found out. Just like you're doing right now…"

Stopping his rampage across the carpet, Sokka looked at his sister with slight surprise, "I DID not freak out—I'm just, uh, surprised okay…Only girls freak out." Puffing out his chest he continued, "Men don't freak out—we get, uh, concerned, yeah, concerned. I was just merely being concerned, Katara."

_Only women—and effeminate men—freak out like that. But maybe she's right? No way, just play it off cool…She'll forget all about it! Right? _Plastering on his most aloof face in order to hide his embarrassment for being caught "freaking out," Sokka sauntered towards the door. Leaning against the frame, he twirled his boxers on his fingertips as he smiled at his little sister who was still seated on the bed. "Well, just know that if he hurts you, I hurt him. Bad. So let me know if he does anything particularly idiotic that you'd like me to pay him back for, okay?"

Returning his grin, she replied, "Okay, Sokka, I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Sokka simply said "good" as he walked back over to the other side of the apartment to finish his laundry.

Falling back on the bed, Katara slid a hand down her face, mumbling, "That actually went better than I thought it would…"

As she lay there motionless, Katara's mind went back to thinking about how Sokka had reacted when he found out about Jet—mind you, it wasn't until after they broke up that Sokka had found about him. Sokka had been enraged and spoiling for a fight, but he had realized his little sister needed him more. Or at least, she needed him more by her side than she needed him to beat up Jet. Closing her eyes, Katara felt herself awed by how much things had changed in the past year.

This time last year, she was in the middle of her freshmen year. Not to mention, she was in the middle of dating—and getting her heart broken by—Jet. She remembered the lonely, depressed feeling that engulfed her when she found out he'd been cheating on her. She recalled how she'd thought that those feelings would never leave her; and how she'd felt like an empty husk other times, allowing herself to dwell on _his _actions and forgetting to take care of herself. Sokka had been there for her, convincing her that things would be okay eventually and that, one day, she'd meet a guy that would treat her like gold.

She kept smiling in a daydream-like haze, thinking that maybe Zuko was that guy. Sure they argued from time to time and he still had to work on the whole "sense of humor" thing, but she did care about him. And when they kissed, it was unlike anything else she'd ever felt with another guy—something _electric_, she mused. There was something special there; she just knew it.

She remained there across the bed smiling like an idiot—that is, until Sokka threw the basket of laundry in her room, joking, "Get your heads out of the clouds, and fold your damned laundry!"

Blowing a puff of air through her bangs in annoyance, Katara rose from the bed and tended to her warm clothes. She wondered if the rest of Zuko's family was as friendly as Iroh, and if they were there for Zuko as much as Sokka was there for her.

She momentarily wondered what it would be like when they met each other's families. Thinking better of it, she decided instead to turn her attention to folding laundry instead of imagining the horror that would be Zuko and Sokka in the same room with her father.

Blanching, she made a mental note to round up and securely hide all of the traditional family hunting paraphernalia before inviting Zuko to her family's home. Just in case…

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Author's Note: So, here we are "The End!" Thanks to everyone for reading along—especially those of you that have been with me since the beginning.

In case you're wondering, yes, there is going to be a sequel, with the possibility of a one-shot somewhere in between. But, I can't tell you when the sequel will be out since I'm getting married later this year and starting grad school while continuing to work full-time…So, life's hectic, but there will be more modern Zutara goodness down the road—think "Meet the Parents" only with whale bone clubs and a crazy sister. So, make sure you place an author alert on your account if you'd like to be notified of when said sequel comes out!

Thanks again to everyone and, most of all, thanks to Moor for being my ever-faithful beta reader!


	15. Note from Renagrrl

Note from renagrrl:

Sorry, there isn't a new chapter to "College Daze," my modern Zutara AU. However, there is a mini-sequel that I just started, titled "The First Date." It's a collection of oneshots describing Zuko Sozin's and Katara Kuruk's first official date. I hope you enjoy some romantic comedy in the first installment, "Bad Hair"!

Just click on my profile link and you'll find the story on my profile page! Please read and review. Thanks!


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